


Betrayal

by Aeon_Wolf



Series: Redemption [2]
Category: Supergirl (TV 2015)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Percy Jackson Fusion, F/F, Friends to Enemies, Minor Character - Veronica Sinclair/Roulette, Minor Pairing - Sanvers, mentions of abuse, mentions of torture, slowburn
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-04-11
Updated: 2017-11-01
Packaged: 2018-10-17 17:57:23
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 18
Words: 48,692
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10599210
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Aeon_Wolf/pseuds/Aeon_Wolf
Summary: Now that Lena has joined her father and the Titans against the Gods, her loyalties made clear. Her betrayal of all she once held dear haunts her every day. But she made her choice and as the war between the Gods and Titans draws near, Lena’s allegiances will be put to the test. Does she help bring about the end of the reign of the Gods? Or will her love for Kara Danvers and the friendships she made along the way be enough to stop the daughter of Hyperion.OrA PJO inspired Supercorp series. Part Two: Betrayal.





	1. Lena

I.

“Again!” Hyperion shouted. Lena gritted her teeth, gripping the sword in her left hand, her eyes burning at the halfblood in front of her. A son of Ares that she didn’t bother to learn the name of. He picked up the sword that Lena had knocked out of his hand just minutes prior. Gripping the handle with both hands, he began to circle Lena again. She smirked, raising an eyebrow teasingly at him.

“C’mon halfblood. You can do better.” She taunted, standing in place, but following his movements closely. She knew her father was watching her movements closely, checking her for any weaknesses. She tensed up in anticipation of the boy’s first move. She was going to make him attack first. One of her greatest skills in battle, her patience. She would wait for her opponent to make a mistake first, keeping her defense tight until someone left an open flank or a leg undefended. Then she struck with deadly precision and accuracy.

The son of Ares did finally lunge after a couple of minutes of analyzing the situation. He stepped forward, feinting to the left before he lunged right. Lena narrowed her eyes at the subtle fake. She wasn’t about to allow herself to be caught out, instead, meeting her opponent’s large two-handed sword with her own swords, the metal clashing together loudly. She twisted and pushed hard against the large sword, the blade clattering out of the halfblood’s hands to the floor as the force of Lena’s push sent the halfblood reeling back, almost losing his balance. Lena just snorted.

“Pathetic.” She said, sheathing her own swords. “Father, enough of this. He needs more training. This is a waste of both of our time.” She insisted and Hyperion nodded in agreement. He turned to the halfblood.

“Reed, if you wish to stay on in our army, your skills need to improve. Quickly.” He said dangerously. “We have no use for halfbloods that can be disarmed by the simplest of moves. Leave us.” He said, the halfblood who Lena guessed was Reed, bowed his head, unwilling to meet either Hyperion or Lena’s flaming gaze, picking up his sword and hurrying away.

“These halfbloods are hopeless,” Lena said, crossing her arms. “If you wish to take down the gods, they’re going to have to be trained harder and faster. Otherwise, it’ll be another five years before we’re ready.” Lena counseled. Hyperion just sighed.

“Not all of them can learn as quickly as you Lena. You’ve accomplished much in only two years. A master of dual bladed sword fighting. A practice that takes most years to accomplish and only after they are proficient with one blade. Not to mention gaining full control of your powers.” Lena grimaced. Her father was right of course. Her training regime had been brutal. And would’ve probably killed a normal halfblood.

But she was anything but normal.

Hyperion glanced at the clock, the time approaching nearly nine in the evening. “Get some rest, Lena.” He said, patting her firmly on the shoulder. “Tomorrow is another day. Another battalion of telekhines arrives tomorrow.” Lena rolled her eyes but nodded slightly. She stalked out of the training arena, her red cape billowing her behind her.

II.

Lena opened the door to her room, untying her sheathed swords from her back, hanging them on a weapon rack on the wall by the door. She then unclipped the cape from her armor, hanging it on a hook before sitting down on her bed. She sighed, bending down to unstrap her boots and remove her armor. She normally didn’t wear it around the castle, but her father had instructed her to wear it to the training that day. And of course, she complied. Once her boots had been unstrapped and thrown into the corner, she looked down at the large crest on her armor, pressing her hand against it. The sun symbol on her chest that was also burned into her wrist glowed gold. The armor began to retract, shrinking from her body until it only resembled a golden belt around her waist.

Her armor, more similar to a mech suit in construction, though less bulky than anything a human could invent, had been a gift from her father. After the completion of her training a couple of months ago, he had given her the armor along with her dual swords that she proudly wore. She carefully began to unwrap the strips of cloth that she around her hands and wrists. She peeled back the fabric on her right wrist to reveal her mark that her father had burned onto her skin, a constant reminder of the choices she made that day.

_“Lena, you can’t be serious.”_

_“They’re Titans, they’re evil!”_

_“I’m sorry.”_

Lena shook her head, willing the memories back into the deepest recesses of her mind. It did no good to dwell on them. Lena grabbed a pair of shorts from her dresser, pulling them on, not bothering to put a shirt on over her sports bra until later. Lena padded over to the window that overlooked the mountain and the sparkling lights of San Francisco in the distance. She had spent many a night gazing up at the night sky. Nights when she returned to her room, battered and bruised, she looked to the stars and tried to pull herself together. Stop herself from collapsing on the floor. She was the daughter of the third most powerful Titan in existence, she was far from weak.

Over the last two years, her training had bled her dry. Scars littered her body, earned in battle against some of the most brutal monsters that the Titans had to offer. She had destroyed hellhounds, telekhines, countless Dracaena, even other halfbloods. She was a killer. It shone in her fiery eyes. Over time, the more time she spent with her father, her eyes faded from the green that they once were to the shifting flames of Hyperion. Until no one remembered what the original color was anymore. Only the flaming eyes of Hyperion were left. A true statement to her lineage. And power.

The last two years had not been kind to Lena Luthor. But she couldn’t bring herself to care. She was far stronger now than she had ever been. She was a ruthless and deadly killer. A brilliant strategist. And the single most powerful halfblood on Mount Othrys. Over the years, as word of the Titan’s coming war spread, they had halfbloods arrive on their doorstep, wanting to assist the Titans in overthrowing the Gods. Some believing in the cause, that the Gods were corrupt. Others hoping that being on the winning side would grant them power instead of death. And others still for reasons of their own. Lena didn’t care what their reasons were.

Lena scratched at her wrist, running her fingers along the burn marks on her right wrist. She flexed her hand a bit. The last two years had seen her grow into an intimidating woman. Her features, once warm and innocent, marred by scars and a dangerous heat behind her eyes. Her training regime had filled out her muscles quite well, her abs toned, leg and arm muscles tight, showing off all the sword training she had done. She worked out nearly every day to grow her physical strength and stamina. It had turned into something of a habit after the first couple of months.

It had taken her time to adjust to her new life. For the first few months, she had been haunted by her choices. Kara’s face following her wherever she went. Even into her dreams, she always woke in the middle of the night in a sweat. She relived that moment over and over again. Hearing Alex and Winn’s protests. Kara’s lips against hers. The last time she saw Kara’s blue eyes. She hadn’t seen her old friends in two years. She sometimes wondered what they were doing. Besides preparing to fight against the Titans. That was a given.

Lena scoffed. The Gods. Another thing that she had come to realize was that her father was right. The Gods were corrupt. The lived, high and mighty on Olympus, pretending to care for those that they ruled over. But all they did was control the powerful, leaving the weak to their own devices because they weren’t a threat to their power. Lena’s hatred for the Gods grew until she abhorred them just as much as her father.

But after all this time, she had never truly forgotten the only one she had ever loved. Kara Danvers. She had no idea what Kara was doing now. But Lena only hoped that she was doing well. Lena had betrayed everything that they had, to protect both Kara as well as herself. No news of Kara’s whereabouts from the halfbloods that had arrived from Demos was probably a good sign. All she knew from the small tidbits of information they had gathered was that J’onn had kept the news of her defection quiet. Rather he had elected to tell everyone that she had simply died. Lena had chuckled when she heard that. A rather foolish decision considering she would be leading their armies to war.

The halfbloods that arrived from Demos had all been visibly taken aback at Lena’s new status. But they quickly learned to both respect and fear her. Because while she held status as Hyperion’s daughter, she had the skill and power to back her threats and commands up. She had been trained by the best, therefore had the skills to reflect that.

III.

After a while, Lena decided to call it a night and sleep. She pulled her bra over her head, pulling an oversized t-shirt instead, crawling into her bed. She snapped her fingers, the ball of light that lit her room blinking out. A rather handy little trick she had picked up over the years. With full control over her powers, she no longer passed out from exhaustion and had unlocked the potential her power of light granted her.

Lena lay on her back, staring up at the ceiling, trying to will her mind to relax. Her mind drifting back to Kara and her friends. Despite her father’s best efforts she knew, she still cared about Kara, and by extension those that Kara cared about. It wasn’t too difficult, Maggie and Mon-El had treated her like a younger sister. Out of the other six halfbloods, including James, Lena had felt the closest to those three in particular. Kara for obvious reasons. And she occasionally found herself missing them.

But they were her enemies now. And there was no way around that. They were working to protect the Gods, she was working to destroy them. And Lena didn’t think that she could get them to abandon their loyalties. And she wasn’t honestly sure if she ever wanted to. She wasn’t so cruel as to want to subject them to her life. She wasn’t evil. Not in her mind. The last two years had opened her eyes to a lot. The Titans, while certainly not benevolent beings, were not evil as the Gods made them out to be. And the Gods were not the good characters in the story either. They had their own flaws. And in Lena’s mind, perhaps with a little bit of Hyperion’s convincing, the Gods were not good for humanity. And they certainly were not good for her.

If she was being honest, she had two reasons for joining the Titans originally. One was for reasons for self-preservation. The Gods would never trust her after this war was over, even if she had remained on their side. She was always going to be a liability, therefore there was always a risk they would do away with her after she had lived out her usefulness. At least with the Titans, she didn’t fear being imprisoned and cast aside. She wasn’t a fool though. She knew that many of the Titans looked down on her, Kronos included, and were using her too. But better to be a pawn with some semblance of power than one without. At least this way, if she kept her nose clean, she didn’t fear death or imprisonment.

And the second reason was to protect Kara. Despite what Kara probably thought of her now, her feelings for the blonde had never faded, as much as Lena tried. She had slept around with some of the halfbloods over the last two years. Tried to forget the girl she loved. But it was impossible. Her heart still clenched at the thought of Kara’s face. The warm and bubbly daughter of Zeus, though she knew Kara had her own demons hidden beneath the surface, just waiting to come out.

And Hyperion had threatened to kill Kara if Lena didn’t join them. And she wasn’t going to let that happen, no matter what happened to her. She wouldn’t be killed certainly. Hyperion needed her in the coming war. So instead she gave herself up to give Kara, and her friends, a fighting chance for another day. There was no guarantee that they would come out of this war alive. And Lena had no idea what she was going to do when she inevitably came across them on the battlefield. But that was a problem for another day. Kronos and the rest of the war council; Hyperion, Krios, Iapetus, and Koios had yet to inform her of their plans.

Sometimes she was allowed to sit in on the meetings, but usually, those pertained to the training of their troops, which was becoming increasingly more involved in. More so since she had completed her own training and they had molded her into a perfect warrior and a perfect killer. But nothing of a timeline when they would launch their first attack. So Lena waited. She pushed herself harder to become stronger. Anything else and she would face punishment from her father. And she had learned first hand that she wanted to avoid that at all costs.

IV.

_“Get up!” Hyperion growled harshly at Lena after he had disarmed her and knocked her to the ground, yet another time that day. Lena, her bones and muscles aching struggled to get up, unable to raise her sword, she was in so much pain._

_“I can’t.” Lena hissed. Hyperion’s eyes flared, stalking towards this daughter. Despite her protesting, he took her right wrist in his hand. Suddenly she felt a continuous stream of agonizing pain shooting through her body. It felt like she was both on fire and being electrocuted at the same time. She screamed out in agony, trying desperately to not pass out because she knew that would only bring her worse things in the future._

_She managed to stay conscious, but only just, as Hyperion ended the pain and let go of her wrist. She fell to her knees, breathing deeply. “You can and you will.” He said harshly. “You are my daughter. And you will show no weakness. The Gods will show you no mercy and neither will I. I’m doing this for your own good Lena.” He said._

_“What good is exhausting me to the brink of collapse?” She said horsely, her voice scratchy from screaming._

_“Consider it a lesson. Disobey me and show any sign of weakness again and that was only a taste of my power. You may be my daughter, and more powerful than even I had imagined, but my own power still is beyond you.” He said cruelly. “Now get up._

V.

Lena shook her head, shuddering at the memory. The pain that she had been subjected to over the last couple of years. Her life was not something that she would ever wish upon anyone. Her father was harsh. Cold. Brutal in some ways. But he did it because he wanted her stronger. Somewhere inside her mind, she knew the way he treated her wasn’t normal. Even for a Titan. But it was her reality. Better to comply and carry out his wishes than question him and anger him.

Lena felt herself finally relaxing, able to drift off into an uneasy sleep. Kara’s face certain to haunt her dreams again that night. She hadn’t had a good night sleep in two years. Not since she had given into the Titans.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well. Welcome to part two everyone. Hold on to your seats because it's only going to get darker and more angst driven from here. Lena hasn't had an easy life at all. It's been rather brutal for her for the last two years. She's been turned completely away from the Gods, though Hyperion and the other Titans haven't yet managed to get her to forget Kara. But that doesn't stop Lena from being an extremely deadly force to be reckoned with. Some people might think it's OOC for her, even in the given story context. But I don't think so at all. Consider that Lena joined the Titans for both self-preservation as well as to protect Kara. And that she's lived with them for two years. That's a long time to live under those conditions and I think at that point, anything is possible. 
> 
> For those of you interested in what's been going on with Kara & Superfriends for the last two years, never fear. That will be covered in the next chapter. Then we'll get on with the plot. But I wanted a two-year time jump for obvious reasons. But that also means I have to briefly address what happened in those two years for things to make sense. An unfortunate necessity for my writing choices. 
> 
> Anyway, I hope you guys are excited, because I am. In addressing the trigger warnings of abuse and torture, there isn't much. And I'm trying to be mindful of that. But, again, it's a choice I made, writing-wise, and will play a part later. So buckle up everyone. We're in for a bumpy ride. 
> 
> Feel free to come scream at me or with me on Tumblr: aeon-wolf.tumblr.com


	2. Kara

I.

“C’mon Kara,” Mon-El urged. “We’ve got a meeting in ten minutes.” Kara looked up from her book, signing but nodding nonetheless.

“I’ll meet you there.” She said, her friend deflating a little bit, but not pushing the issue. He closed the door to her dorm room. Kara shut the worn book, running her fingers down the cover gently. “I know you’re still out there. And I promised you that I would never give up on you.” She whispered to herself, gingerly setting the book back in its place on her shelf, getting up from her chair.

The last two years had not been kind to Kara Danvers. Sure, her life generally hadn’t changed that much, but Lena’s absence had still left a hole in her heart. In fact, the entire dynamic of their little group had changed. Kara opened her bedroom door, heading out into the hallway, making her way out of the Zeus dorms. She trudged up the stone path out of the living quad towards J’onn’s office.

Things were different, even though nothing had really substantively changed in their day to day lives. Alex and Maggie went on to graduate then Alex followed through on her dream and went on a three-month vacation to Greece with Maggie. The couple had loved it there and Alex had gotten down on one knee in front of the Parthenon, a ring in her hand, proposing to her girlfriend of over three years. Tearfully Maggie had accepted and the couple had come back to Demos engaged.

Everyone had been overjoyed for the couple, no one more so than Kara. The blonde loved her sister and she loved Maggie. But her heart clenched each time she saw the couple kiss or share an intimate moment. Because it reminded her of what she had lost. Kara walked up the steps of the admin building, dragging her feet. She really hated these meetings. Ever since Lena’s defection, the Gods had seen fit to keep the five halfbloods relatively in the loop. They received intel reports from J'onn and authorized him to tell the five. They all knew because of their ties to Lena, the Gods wanted to keep them close.

Kara reached J’onn’s office, pushing the door open, her four other friends sitting around the office, waiting for her.

II.

“We should strike her down now,” Zeus argued with the rest of the Olympians. “This news that Hyperion’s daughter has joined the Titans is troubling. They are clearly planning for war. The report from Kara and her friends is clear. The demititan is a powerful weapon, as we all knew. The power of a Titan combined with the freedom of humanity.”

Athena and Ares both nodded in agreement. Such a combination was unheard of. Until now. Hyperion had done the unthinkable. “We cannot just destroy her Zeus. That is beyond us. We are forbidden from simply striking down a human.” Apollo argued, his sister Artemis agreed with her twin.

“We don’t yet know what her role is.” She reasoned, but Ares intervened.

“They will train her as a weapon. There is no doubt of that. The Titans will not be strong enough to strike at us for another couple of years. They don’t have the means or the strength to challenge Olympus. But with Hyperion’s daughter, they are a true threat.” He said.

“We need a way to match her strength. Hyperion is a brutal Titan. I do not envy his daughter. She will go through much hardship in the coming years.” Athena said. “But we need to think of our own protection. She made her decision. At full strength, no halfblood will be able to stand against her. Her power will be too great.”

“My daughter,” Zeus said, sitting back in his throne. “She could grow strong enough to defeat Hyperion’s daughter. We still have the Titan’s siphoned powers locked away. Granting her some of that power could easily be enough. Kara is strong already being my daughter. But with the combined power of a God, a Titan, and the humanity to match Lena, she could overpower the girl and end the threat she poses.”

“No,” Apollo said, jumping in. “Kara will never be able to kill Lena.” He insisted. This time Aphrodite, who had remained silent for most of the conversation, agreed.

“Kara Danvers will never be able to strike down Lena Luthor, my lord Zeus. To believe she would even entertain the idea is foolish.” She argued. Zeus sighed but bowed his head in defeat.

“Then we prepare for war. We keep the five halfbloods that returned from the quest close. They will be valuable assets in the coming war. We keep the word of Hyperion’s daughter quiet. The last thing we need is more defections. Hades, rally our forces in the Underworld. War is coming. We need to be prepared.”

III.

Kara sat down in her chair. “Good, you’re here Kara. Now we can begin.” J’onn said, placing his hands on his desk. She just nodded. She hated these meetings. They were always about potential ways to prepare for the coming war. And it always came back to Lena. Over the many months, everyone else eventually lost faith in her

Alex was the first. She had always been wary of the young halfblood, ever since she had been found out to be Hyperion’s daughter. It hadn’t been hard for Alex to treat and talk about Lena like she was the enemy. That hurt Kara a lot more than she was willing to admit. And one by one, everyone else followed suit. First, it was Winn. Then Maggie. Then Mon-El.

Kara always fought for Lena though. She never gave up on the young halfblood. Somewhere in her heart, she knew that there was more to the story. She refused to believe that Lena would betray her like that. She knew that Lena had feelings for her and despite the agonizing years since she had last seen Lena, she still loved her. She could still sometimes feel Lena’s lips against her own. Taste the tears that had run down both their cheeks. Hear Lena apologize to her. That memory was still as vivid as ever, even after two years.

“The Gods are sending Conner on a quest. There is a group of hunters that live in the forests on the Olympic Peninsula. He is going to try to recruit them to our side. Before the Titans get there. He’s bringing Alira and James with him.” Kara’s attention perked up at the mention of James.

He was the only one of their group that was left out of the loop. Soon after they arrived back at Demos, the Gods had decided to spread word the Lena had died, rather than turned. And they were all made to swear oaths on the River Styx to never tell a soul. Even their best friend James. Most of them were torn up about Lena’s defection that it hadn’t been much of a stretch for the narrative that Lena had died to spread. And spread quickly.

James took particular interest in Kara after he found out. And in the coming years after. He had cared for Lena, maybe not as much as some of the others because he hadn’t had as much interaction time with her. But he had still seen her as the little sister of the group. But he noticed that when they had come back, Kara was far more depressed than the others. He had suspected that Kara had more than friendly feelings towards Lena weeks before the two had left on their quest together. And Kara refusal to move on was further proof.

“When are they leaving?” Alex asked, always the down to business one.

“Tomorrow. This is a matter of speed. Our spies tell us that the Titans are being to mobilize. Their armies are vast, larger than originally projected. We need all the help we can get. And we don’t have a lot of time. We don’t yet know when they will launch their first attack, but things have been unusually quiet.” J’onn said grimly. Mon-El and Winn nodded.

There had been an uptick in the number of monster attacks in the last couple of years. Perhaps the Titans. Perhaps not. But everyone was wary of what it meant. But they hadn’t had any reports of attacks in the last few weeks. “Do we know if…” Winn trailed off, glancing at Kara, who tightened her jaw slightly. “Lena is… uhm… involved in planning or anything?”

J’onn looked cautiously at Kara, as did everyone else. They all knew Lena was a touchy subject for Kara. She still believed that Lena wasn’t evil, though all the evidence pointed to the idea that she had completely given herself over to the Titans. She was their enemy. But Kara refused to believe it. J’onn sighed. “No. We have little information about her. Our spies are not highly ranked enough to interact with her regularly. They’ve caught glimpses of her, exchanged swords with her a couple of times. That is all.”

“How good is she now?” Mon-El asked, genuinely curious. Lena had a lot of raw talent, but when they had been friends, she was untrained for the most part. She knew the basics, but she wasn’t a refined swordsman by any means.

“From the information we’ve gathered, she’s an expert now. I can’t say I’m surprised. She always was the talented one. Must come from her father.” J’onn said. Everyone nodded in agreement.

“She’s always been great. But that’s because she’s naturally talented, not because her father was good.” Kara interjected. Alex rolled her eyes.

“Kara, you’ve got to stop sticking up for her at some point. If she had a big master plan to screw the Titans, don’t you think she would be back here, in your lap by now? Wake up, little sister. I love you Kar, but it’s time to move on from this idea that Lena is still the same person we all thought she was. Because she’s not. “ Alex lectured. Kara groaned, shooting her sister a dirty look. She stood up abruptly.

“If we’re done for today, I’m leaving,” Kara said, storming out of J’onn’s office before anyone had a chance to stop her.

IV.

Kara headed to the quad and laid in the grass, a favorite pastime of Lena’s. She lay still for a few minutes before a shadow blocked her view. Kara looked up to see Mon-El standing above her. “I loved her too you know.” He said, sitting down next to Kara. The blonde sat up, propping herself up on her hands.

“Then you wouldn’t have given up on her.” Kara huffed. Mon-El sadly looked at Kara.

“Kar, don’t you think I wish every day that she would come home? Come back to us? Because I do. Nothing is the same without her. Maggie and I miss her like a little sister. James does too, I know. He told me. Alex doesn’t want to admit it, but she’s so hostile to Lena because she’s mad. Both at Lena and at herself. She’s mad that she couldn’t stop Lena. And she’s mad that Lena hurt you. And Winn misses his little tech buddy. We all want her back Kara. But it’s time to face reality. Lena is a threat. We know she’s training to destroy Olympus. And it’s going to take destroying us to get there. We’re the first line of defense. We’ll see her again Kara. But we all have to be prepared for the reality that she isn’t the same baby halfblood we took in. She’s dangerous.” Mon-El said, rubbing Kara’s back.

“I just… I can’t believe that Mon-El. How can I? I still love her. How can I believe that she doesn’t love me? That she's forgotten about me, even after two years. I can’t believe that she’d hurt me.” Kara said, her voice cracking. Lena was always a sore topic for Kara, it was difficult to talk about her for any length of time without crying. And she was trying very hard not to.

“Maybe she won’t Kara. She did love you. I’m sure of that. But that doesn’t change the fact, from what our sources say, she’ll do anything to destroy the Gods. And even if she doesn’t, her father will. And he has been rather brutal to her from what we understand. I know you refused to sit in on that report, but…” Mon-El said, but Kara cut him off.

“Don’t.” Kara sobbed. “I can’t…” Kara said, tears rolling down her cheeks. Mon-El shut his mouth, gathering Kara up into a hug.

“I know it hurts Kar. And I wish I could fill that spot for you. But we both know I can’t. But you have to try to move on. Heal your heart.” He said as she cried into his shirt.

“I can’t,” Kara whispered through her tears. “She’s still in there. I promised her I would never give up on her. I’m not going to break that promise.” Mon-El elected to stay silent, just holding his friend who he knew was in agonizing pain. Not of the flesh, but of the heart. And that was often more damaging than a knife to the gut.

V.

Kara lay on her bed, staring at the ceiling when she heard a knock at her door. “Come in.” She called, the door opening and Alex stepped into her room. Kara glanced at her sister, before looking back up at the ceiling.

“Kar?” Alex said, sitting down in the chair by Kara’s desk. Kara remained silent. Alex sighed. “I’m sorry about earlier. Mon-El told me what happened. I didn’t… I didn’t mean to hurt you. You know that’s the last thing I want. I just... “ Alex tried, running her hand through her hair, frustrated. “I just want to protect you. You haven’t been yourself since… yeah. I’m just worried about you. Mom and Dad are too. I just want what’s best for you.” Alex whispered. Kara looked over at her sister.

“Trying to get me to get over her isn’t what is best for me Alex. I made a promise to her. Everyone else might be willing to throw her under the bus, but I’m not.” Kara said with a tone of finality in her voice. Alex got up, moving over to sit on the bed next to Kara.

“And that’s one of the things I love about you Kara. You always look for the best in people. You always want to help. To believe that they can be good. I just want you to be careful. That’s all I’ve ever wanted. You may believe in her, but does Lena still believe in you?” Alex asked carefully.

“Yes. She has to. She promised me.” Kara said, a little angrily.

“I know, but Hyperion has…” Alex started, but Kara cut her off.

“Her father isn’t her. She may be living with him and training under him. But he can’t make her do anything. I know she still cares about me. There isn’t anything he can do to make her forget me.” Kara said confidently. Alex sighed, running her hand through Kara’s blonde hair.

“I hope you’re right. Because I get the feeling we’re going to find out. Sooner, rather than later.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I admit, I almost teared up a bit writing that exchange between Kara and Mon-El. Almost. So that's what Kara has been up to really. Just going about her normal life with a hole in her heart. I wanted to draw a bit of a contrast between what Lena and what Kara have been going through. And I don't want to say Lena hasn't struggled emotionally. Because she certainly has. But Lena's also had an ugly time physically. And she hasn't had a lot of free time to stew on her emotions like Kara has. So they're both hurting over each other, in different ways. 
> 
> There have been other small tidbits of information (especially in regards to other characters like James, Winn, Maggie, Alex, etc) that have gone on in the last two years, but a sufficient amount has been covered to where we can really start digging in on the plot. Any additional information on the last two years will be worked in when it needs to be. But I think we've all got a good sense of where our favorite couple is at the beginning of this coming war. Kara, as in canon, refuses to give up on Lena. And Lena, while twisted and abused by Hyperion, still holds Kara (and her other friends) in her heart. But things are never simple. Especially when you're the daughter of a Titan. 
> 
> Feel free to come scream at me or with me on Tumblr: aeon-wolf.tumblr.com


	3. Mission

I.

Drawing her swords, Lena frowned, her father standing in the training arena opposite her, his own sword drawn. She hated days when she was forced to fight him. Despite her quick improvement and vast power, she was still no match for Hyperion. He bested her every time. And he was sure to always rub it in her face. A sword in each of her hands, she raised her right. Hyperion narrowed his eyes at her. 

“You will never truly be one of us until you can best the strongest of us.” He taunted. Lena gritted her teeth. For two years she had faced his cruelty. She had never been under any illusion that Hyperion actually loved her. Rather he was a more physically brutal version of Lillian. Unfortunately, her choices had been made long ago and she had to live with them. While her father wasn’t kind, he was efficient and made sure that she was strong. One thing she could thank him for. It wasn’t much. But it was something to hold on to. 

Lena had learned from experience that if she never made the first move, they would stand there all day. She stepped forward cautiously, Hyperion gripped his sword tighter, watching her every move like a hawk. Suddenly, she lashed out, swinging at him with both swords. Hyperion reacted just as quickly, blocking her strike, countering with her own. A signature move, Lena had learned over time. She came to expect it and dodged out of the way, coming away from their first exchange without a scratch. Hyperion nodded approvingly. 

“You’re learning.” He remarked. This time, Hyperion went in, slashing overhead at her with a great deal of strength. More than a human could ever use. Lena saw the strike coming and raised her blades to meet his. The sound of clashing metal echoed around them as Lena caught her father’s sword, pushing him off of her, running towards him, swinging her right sword at him, followed up by the left. Hyperion blocked one of the strikes on his wrist guard, deflecting it. He then dodged the next, striking at her with the flat of his blade, catching her exposed side. Lena groaned at the hit, coming away from the exchange with ribs that she was sure would bruise later. 

“But not fast enough.” He smirked, twirling his sword in his hand. “You always leave your sides unprotected Lena. You need to tighten up your defenses, otherwise, any witless halfblood can come in with a knife and catch you unprepared.” Lena frowned but nodded in submission. 

The two continued exchanging blows for a good hour. Lena’s stamina had markedly improved in the last two years and she was able to train for hours without breaking a sweat. She did get a few hits of her own in on Hyperion, but obviously nothing that would debilitate him. He was just too strong for her. She, on the other hand, had been hit a number of times, blood dripping from the open wounds onto the stone floor. After a while, the door to the training room opened, revealing Krios. 

“Brother, it’s time. They’ve left. We move into the next stage of our plan.” Krios said. Hyperion raised his hand to Lena to stop her next attack. She immediately dropped her arms, returning to a more relaxed position. Hyperion nodded. “Bring her to the council.” Krios finished before leaving without another word. Hyperion sheathed his sword, gesturing for Lena to do the same. 

“Come, put your armor on and meet us in the council room. We have much to discuss.” He said sharply, walking out of the training area without waiting to check if she was following. He knew she would. And of course, she did. It’s not like she had much of a choice either way. 

II.

Lena stood before the Council, Kronos at the head, her father and uncles around him; Hyperion, Krios, Iapetus and Koios. She bowed respectfully to them. During her two years, she had gained a healthy respect for all of the Titans, not just her father. Kronos, the king of the Titans had a worse temper than Hyperion and far more power. She stayed away from him at all costs, not wishing to catch him on a bad day. Of which there were many. 

Krios had a bad temper to match Kronos, but far less power. Her grumpy uncle was in a foul mood more often than not, but he was the one she had the most interaction with besides Hyperion. He often would spar against her on days when Hyperion was attending to other matters with their armies, which had grown exponentially over the years. One of the reasons that Lena knew war was coming soon was because she knew that they finally had the forces to challenge Olympus. Especially with her leading the charge.

Iapetus was her favorite. He had a far more calm mind than the other three. She would sometimes challenge him to a game of chess or two in the evenings to keep her mind sharp. Sometimes she would even best him. He wasn’t kind by any means, but he treated her like family. He almost reminded her of Lex in some ways. 

And last was Koios. He mostly kept to himself in general. The only Elder Titan who was naturally clairvoyant, many sought him out, especially Hyperion. They would all question him about the future and Lena knew a power like that would become tiring. She respectfully gave him the space he desired, seeing him only when she sat in on Council meetings and even then, he rarely spoke.  

Kronos sat forward in his throne, setting his arms on the stone table, looking Lena up and down. She, again, stood in full armor and her swords strapped to her back. She stood rather formally, her feet shoulder width apart, her hands clasped behind her back, her head held high. She noticed he gave her his attention and she bowed. “My lord, you wished to see me?” She asked. Hyperion had not only schooled her in the art of war but the art of diplomacy and respect as well. Kronos nodded.

“I did. As you know, my niece, you have been training for the last two years to lead our armies into battle against the Gods. And you have come far since the first day you came to us. Your improvement remarkable for half a human.” He said with some disdain in his voice, like she was something lesser. Which she supposed in his mind, she was. “We are finally ready to begin the first phase of our war with Olympus.” He said. Lena nodded. 

“What would you have me do?” She asked, her spine stiffening at the possibilities. 

“A band of heroes approaches the Olympic Peninsula to the north. They wish to recruit a reclusive bunch of hunters to their cause. Zeus is scrambling for all the allies he can gather. He knows of the threat you pose and had no one to stand against you.” Kronos said with a chuckle. Lena clenched her jaw but said nothing. “The group of heroes will arrive there within a day or two. You are to take one of the halfbloods and… send a message to Olympus with their deaths. You will kill the heroes and use your magic to return their bodies to Demos. We will send a message that it is no longer safe for heroes of Olympus to leave Demos again. Recruit the hunters if you can, but the heroes are your priority.” Lena nodded curtly. 

“And the halfblood you wish to accompany me?” She inquired. Kronos waved his hand in the air. 

“It is your choice. You have spent far more time with them that I have. I trust your judgment.” He said. “You will not fail this mission, Lena.” He said dangerously. “This will be your first assignment in this war. Do not disappoint. I’m sure you know what happens when you do.” He narrowed his eyes at her. Lena nodded quickly, her spine tingling at the reminder of the pain she had been through when she had been unable to perform in the past. 

“I will not let you down.” She said. “I will leave immediately.” She said. Kronos nodded, waving her out of the council chambers. She turned on heel and quickly left. 

III. 

Lena returned to her room, grabbing a few things from various weapon racks and drawers in her room. She had her armor on, her swords on her back. She also grabbed a series of small daggers that slotted into openings in her armor and on her belt. She picked up her helmet, golden like her suit. It covered most of her face, only her flaming eyes visible. She looked at it with some distaste. She hated the helmet. It only reminded her of her father. More than anything else. She didn’t know why, but she wore it as little as possible. 

There was a knock on her door. “Come in.” She called. The door opened to reveal Veronica Sinclair, a halfblood daughter of Hermes that went by Roulette. 

“You asked for me, Lena?” She said teasingly. “Wanting to try to get over your sweetheart some more?” She approached Lena slowly, seduction dripping from her voice. Lena frowned and shook her head.

“No. I gave that idea up long ago.” She said wistfully. Roulette was one of the women she had slept with over the last two years in an attempt to heal the void in her heart left by losing Kara. But it was no use. More than once she had screamed out Kara’s name at she climaxed. One of the good things about Roulette was that she didn’t get attached. They both knew that their fun was temporary and a coping mechanism for Lena. There were no feelings involved with it. And after the first few months, Lena had put an end to their friends with benefits relationship. 

In a moment of weakness, Roulette had offered some unsolicited advice, and if it had been any other halfblood, Lena would have strangled the individual. She had told Lena that she knew what it was like to fall in love and lose it. 

_ “Is there a possibility of bringing this Kara to our side?” Roulette asked one night, sitting naked in bed next to Lena who was laying on her back, staring at the ceiling. She had cried out Kara’s name again in the heat of the moment. This couldn’t continue anymore. Lena looked over at the halfblood, shaking her head.  _

_ “No. There is no chance. And I don’t want there to be. She deserves more than to be wrapped up in our life. She’s too good. She’s too pure to live like this.” Lena said dejectedly. She wanted to protect Kara. Mainly from the Titans, but also from herself. She had changed over the last few months. She was a different person. She was also afraid to face Kara again. Afraid that Kara would reject the person she had become.  _

“Then what have you called me for? I know you’re not one for heart to heart chats, Lena.” Roulette teased. Lena just rolled her fiery eyes. 

“Pack your stuff. We have a mission to attend to. The beginning of our war on the Gods is about to begin.” She said with a chuckle. Lena never knew the reason why the daughter of Hermes had joined them. She wasn’t curious as to why people joined them. But she had to admit, the gleeful look that crossed Roulette’s face was almost off-putting. She nodded eagerly. 

“I suppose I should be flattered. Out of all the halfbloods on Mount Othrys, you picked little ol’ me.” She teased. Lena just laughed, shaking her head. 

“I don’t think anyone else is up to the challenge. Most of the halfbloods here are still struggling to fight off a hellhound.” Lena sighed. “It’s pathetic to watch actually.” Roulette nodded in agreement. 

“When do we leave?” She asked. 

“Immediately. This shouldn’t be longer than a day or two. We are to intercept and kill a group of heroes making their way north to recruit allies for the gods. I plan to head them off outside of Seattle.” Lena said. Roulette nodded. 

“Well let me pack a bag and grab my knives. I’ll meet you in the entrance hall.” Roulette said, making her way for the door. Lena nodded, turning her attention to her desk. After she heard the click of the door, she opened one of the drawers, grabbing a small, worn dagger from the drawer. She pulled it out of the sheath, running her hand across the flat of the blade. 

“I know I don’t say it enough. But I’m sorry Kara.” Lena whispered to herself as she played with the dagger. It had been a gift from her friend a long time ago. Before they had been separated, their night in Vegas, Lena had broached the topic of Kara training her with a knife. Of course, Kara had jumped at the chance to spend more time with her and had readily agreed. In fact, she had grabbed the knife that she had brought and handed it to Lena. 

_ “What’s this for Kara?” Lena asked curiously.  _

_ “Think of it as my way of telling you to hold me to my word. It’s a promise.” Kara said brightly. Lena smiled happily, nodding at her friend.  _

Lena blinked before taking the worn sheath and tying it around her belt, the dagger dangling from it. 

IV.

Lena waited in the entrance hall for Roulette when her father approached her. She bowed her head respectfully as he approached and he placed a hand on her shoulder. “I’m sure you know you will be punished if you fail. And rewards if you return home successful.” He said threateningly. Lena narrowed her eyes but nodded. 

“Of course. I would expect nothing else.” She said coldly. He nodded curtly. 

“Good. Because this is an important task we are entrusting you with Lena. And only you are able to carry it out. We cannot have any mistakes.” He said, his eyes flaring brightly. Lena’s own eyes flashed a bright shade of red. 

“I will not fail you.” She almost spat, the tension between the two palpable. 

“See that you don’t.” He said quietly before stepping away from his daughter as Roulette approached. 

“Lord Hyperion.” She said respectfully before turning to Lena. “You ready to go?” She asked and Lena nodded. 

“Yes, let’s go. We have a long journey ahead of us.” She said, eyeing her father before walking out the front door. The pair made their way towards the pits where they housed the hellhounds. 

“You two seem… chummy.” Roulette remarked. Lena groaned slightly.

“Don’t remind me. He was just… you know. Fail and die speech he always gives.” She said with a shrug. “Nothing to worry about. I don’t fail. Not anymore.” She spat. 

“I’m sure you don’t.” Her companion said with a slight tone of sarcasm. Lena gave her a sharp look and Roulette raised her hands in submission. The two reached the hellhound pits in silence. Lena approached the alpha cautiously. Despite her own power and status, the hellhounds were still dangerous. The sleeping alpha woke as its ears perked up at the sound of her approaching. He raised his head, his glowing red eyes staring at Lena, challenging her. Lena returned the gaze with her own fiery eyes, shifting through various shades of red, orange and yellow. The two stared each other down for a couple of minutes before the alpha looked away, lowering his head with a slight whimper, acknowledging her dominance. 

Lena’s gaze hardened, looking back at Roulette. “Come, they’re safe now.” She said, walking over to one of the hellhounds. Roulette followed her closely, eyeing the hellhounds. 

“You’re sure?” She whispered. Lena nodded. 

“Their alpha submit to my will. They won’t harm you as long as you’re with me.” She replied. She approached one of the larger hellhounds. 

“We need transportation to Seattle.” She said, staring the hellhound in the eye. The bear-sized mastiff gazed down at Lena before laying on the ground. Lena went around to get on his back. “Well, you coming?” Lena asked Roulette who was hesitantly looking at the monster.

“This thing is going to get us all the way to Seattle?” She asked skeptically. The hellhound growled softly at Roulette who immediately shut her mouth and scrambled onto his back behind Lena. 

“Hellhounds possess the power to shadow travel. But we’ll only be able to get as far as Portland today before he’ll need sleep to regain his strength.” Lena clarified. She leaned over and stroked his head softly. “Come, we have a long journey ahead of us.” She whispered to the hellhound, who abruptly stood. Roulette wrapped her arms around Lena’s stomach tightly. 

“You’re sure this is safe?” She asked. Lena nodded. 

“It’s safe, though it’s not a pleasant feeling, so brace yourself.” She said as the hellhound began to slip into the shadow. Silently the two halfbloods and the hellhound disappeared into the shadows. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I sometimes have this habit of making characters that were meant to be secondary, into more primary characters, so don't be surprised if Roulette shows up more than either you expected or I originally intended. 
> 
> But yeah, killing heroes. And who do we know that's a part of that questing group? Yeah. If you don't remember, go back and read it again!! But yeah, Lena is going to be coming in contact with one of the Superfriends for the first time in two years. And... well... You'll see how she handles it. 
> 
> Feel free to come scream at me or with me on Tumblr: aeon-wolf.tumblr.com


	4. James

I.

Lena felt Roulette slump against her back once they had been freed from the shadows. “Damn Luthor, you weren’t kidding. And you’re telling me we’re going to have to do that again?” She complained. Lena chuckled. It took some time to get used to the sensation of going so fast that it felt like your face was peeling off. Even Lena wasn’t fully used to it, but she accepted it. “So where are we?”

“Portland, Oregon,” Lena replied, hopping off the hellhound’s back. She ran her hand along his fur. “He needs to rest for a bit until we can travel the rest of the way. The group of heroes we’re after should be in Seattle in a matter of hours. Our spies tell us they were flying from Demos to the city. I plan on ambushing them on the road towards the Olympic Peninsula.” She said, plans and strategies for killing the halfbloods running through her mind. She wasn’t simply a mindless killer like some of the others in their army. Over the years, her mind had been honed to be a brilliant strategist as well. Iapetus made sure of that.

While Hyperion and Krios were her combat mentors, Iapetus was her strategic mentor. The calm mind of the Titan made him better suited to school her in the art of war strategy in ways that her father could not. He was a brilliant Titan as well, but Hyperion’s temper and anger often got the better of him. Kronos wished for the calmest of the Elder Titans to train her.

“So, what do we do in the meantime?” Roulette said, looking around at the forest that surrounded them. Lena shrugged.

“What do you suggest?” Lena asked though she cringed after realizing what she had implied. Roulette grinned wickedly, approaching Lena, running a finger down her armored chest.

“I can think of a few ways to pass the time.” She whispered, staring unabashedly into Lena’s flaming gaze. The demititan hardened her gaze, stepping away from the halfblood.

“No. I told you a long time ago, I can’t anymore.” Lena said, refusing Roulette’s advances. The halfblood huffed, but stepped away from Lena, respecting her boundaries.

“Can’t blame a girl for trying, right?” Roulette teased. Lena just rolled her eyes. “You always were one hell of a lover, Lena. I get you’re still hung up on this Kara person, but if you’re ever up to resume our arrangement, you know where to find me.” Roulette offered. Lena just shook her head.

“I know. But it just feels wrong.” Lena admitted. Roulette was probably the closest thing she had to a friend in her life now. She didn’t get close to people anymore. She didn’t want to form attachments. She knew how hard it was to try to break those bonds. And even after two years, many of hers still lingered.

“You still struggle to forget her? After all this time?” Roulette questioned, sitting down on a nearby log, taking one of her knives out of its sheath, twirling it in her fingers. Lena glanced over at the halfblood.

“You once told me you knew what it was like to have loved and lost. Can you really tell me that it’s easy to forget what you lost?” Lena questioned. Roulette shook her head.

“No. I just thought that your father would have beaten that out of you by now.” She said with a shrug. Lena tensed. She knew Hyperion had tried and failed to do just that. She had the scars to prove it. She had just resorted to not talking about it and letting on like everything was as it should be. But it was far from in the deepest recesses of her mind.

“Trust me, he has tried.” She said, clenching her jaw. “But Kara was special. She still is. I don’t know if I’m even capable of forgetting her.” Roulette looked up at Lena who was playing with her hands, a nervous tick she had developed when she was young.

“Then what are you going to do when, inevitably, you meet again and you will have to kill her?” Roulette questioned, genuine curiosity in her voice. Lena’s eyes flicked towards the halfblood before looking to the canopy of trees above them.

“I don’t know.”

II.

The two halfbloods waited for a few hours for their hellhound to rest up, the pair deciding to spar for a little bit, Lena coming out on top at the end. Though she had chosen Roulette to accompany her for a reason, the woman was deadly. She had been nicked by her knives more than once. “I see your control has improved immensely” Roulette commented as Lena shoved her swords back into their sheaths on her back.

“I suppose. My father doesn’t accept anything short of perfection. And he will do anything to… encourage me to achieve it.” She said carefully, twisting at the wrist guard around her right wrist that covered her burn mark.

“I don’t know if I would enjoy Hyperion’s idea of encouragement.” Roulette jested. Lena’s gaze turned dark.

“You wouldn’t. Trust me.” She said bitterly. Very few could probably have even survived what she had been through. She walked over to their sleeping hellhound, running her hand again through his fur, rousing him from his sleep. “Are you ready?” She whispered to him. The hellhound looked at her with his intimidating red eyes, but whined, signaling that he had recovered enough. She nodded, climbing onto his back. She gestured for Roulette to hop on. The halfblood eyed the monster warily before climbing onto his back behind Lena. She wrapped her arms around Lena’s waist again as the monster stood.

“I hate this so much. Next time, I’m taking a plane.” Roulette complained as they all disappeared into the shadows. A few seconds later, they emerged in another forest, though they could see a country road through the treeline. Lena shook her head, trying to brush off the sensation of shadow travel, patting the hellhound on his side.

“Let’s get a closer look.” She said as the hellhound crept forward towards the treeline and the road. Lena could see through a few gaps in the trees, the city in the far off distance. But they were far enough away that very few cars came their way.

“Now what?” Roulette asked. “What’s your plan?”

“Now we wait. We pursue them, cut them off, and we kill them.” Lena said coldly.

“Brutal. Though I’d expect nothing less from the daughter of Hyperion.” Roulette teased. Lena just rolled her eyes but kept her gaze on the road.

Over the next hour or two a couple of cars passed by, but Lena could tell they were only full of humans. No sign of any halfbloods. Her own magic and power couldn’t necessarily detect the heroes they were looking for, but she had an innate sense of divine presence through her Titan bloodline. And so far, all she had detected were humans.

“It’s almost nightfall.” Roulette remarked. “You don’t think the group has stopped for the night?” Lena shook her head.

“Doubtful. Their mission is of utmost importance to the Gods. They fear our armies and our strength. I have no doubt they have planted spies within our ranks. They know our forces grow restless, the promise of war draws near. It’s a last ditch effort to gain more support for Olympus.” Lena said, her eyes still fixed on the road.

“You know they have planted spies and yet you, nor the council, have done anything about it?” Roulette questioned. Lena shrugged.

“There is nothing to be done. We search for and kill the spies, the Gods will just send more. There is a reason that Kronos and his brothers keep their plans behind closed doors. Only the most trusted and most highly ranked are allowed to know anything about their plans. And even then, each of us are only fed pieces, never the whole plan.” Lena explained. “Besides, we have our own spies within Demos. Kill theirs and we risk ours.” She shrugged. Roulette nodded, almost fascinated at the way Lena’s strategic mind worked.

Lena narrowed her eyes at the sight of a car approaching rather quickly in the distance. A tingle ran up her spine, a sure sign of divine presence. “That’s them.” She whispered as the car flew past their position. “Pursue that car.” She commanded the hellhound. He obeyed, bursting through the treeline, his teeth bared, red eyes glowing menacingly, chasing after the car, quickly gaining on it. Lena put her helmet on, her glowing fiery eyes being the only features that were visible from under the golden helmet.

Lena could tell the car was trying to lose them as it sped up and tried to swerve on the empty road. Lena chuckled, urging the hellhound to run faster. “See if you might get them to… exit their vehicle.” Lena shouted to Roulette, who was grasping Lena’s shoulder with her left hand. The halfblood nodded.

“Get us closer to the car.” She said. Lena urged the hellhound to run faster, the monster catching up with the car, running alongside it. Lena turned her head to see three halfbloods, two of them yelling at the driver. Lena chuckled. Roulette suddenly jumped from the hellhound’s back onto the roof of the car. She pulled one of her daggers from its sheath, stabbing it was some force through the metal roof. Lena could see the halfbloods yelling at the driver, probably to try to shake Roulette from the roof, but it was no use, no matter how the car swerved.

Finally, it seemed the heroes saw they had no choice but to stand and fight as the car came to an abrupt stop. The hellhound slowed his pursuit, allowing Lena to jump gracefully from his back, drawing her sword from their sheaths. She watched the three halfbloods quickly get out of the car, their weapons drawn, as Roulette also jumped from the roof, landing on the asphalt, walking over to Lena with a smug look on her face. “Three halfbloods, as you requested, my lady.” Bowing to her, a teasing smile on her lips. Lena just rolled her eyes, smacking the halfblood softly.

“Stop it.” She hissed. She turned her attention back to the halfbloods who were now standing before her. Her eyes moved from one of the males with dark brown hair to a red haired girl until her eyes settled on a familiar face.

James.

She was almost visibly taken aback that he was one of the halfbloods assigned to this quest. He looked just as she remembered he did. She steeled her gaze at him, her eyes narrowing in his direction. She hadn’t expected to come across one of her old friends so soon. Maybe in a few weeks when they launched their attack on Demos.

“Let us go.” The other male halfblood said confidently, though Lena could detect a hint of fear in his voice as she turned her attention to him.

“And why would we do that?” She said, her voice surely muffled from her helmet.

“You’re outnumbered.” He said, his voice faltering slightly. Lena laughed, nudging Roulette.

“You hear that? We’re outnumbered. Do you think we should let them go?” She said, taunting the halfbloods who just gripped their weapons tighter. Roulette smirked.

“It would be a shame to miss out on an opportunity to add a couple more halfbloods to my list.” She said, eyeing the girl. Lena didn’t envy the other halfbloods. Roulette was nothing if not dangerous. And unlike Lena, she enjoyed playing with her prey.

“By all means,” Lena said, bowing her head slightly. “Take your pick.” She said, stepping away from Roulette, turning her attention to the halfbloods who all had a look of fear pass through their features. Roulette, unsurprisingly, lunged towards the girl, causing the dark haired male that Lena didn’t know to step forward to deflect Roulette’s blade. He pushed her back, stepping in front of the girl.

“No. You’re going to have to go through me to get to her.” He said angrily. Lena thought she could detect a hint of jealousy in his voice. It looked to her as though the two had feelings for each other. Or at least, him for her. Roulette just chuckled.

“The more the merrier.” She said before stepping forward again to engage in a two on one fight, leaving Lena to face James.

“I suppose it’s you and me then. You know, you could just surrender and make your death rather painless. Make it easier on both of us.” Lena said, knowing full well James would never surrender. He just clenched his jaw, raising his sword at her.

“You and I both know that isn’t going to happen.” He said, stepping towards her.

‘So be it.’ Lena thought to herself as she met his blade with hers. Lena patiently waited for him to make the first move, which he eventually did, swinging at her, seemingly to test her blade. Lena just dodged out of the way, countering his attack with one of her own. Her swords caught on his shield clattered against the metal. James, with his shield up, walked towards Lena who was circling him like a predator.

The two exchanged a few blows, blocking and countering each other rather easily. Lena finally decided to press the attack, going in for a more aggressive strike. James barely managed to block her attack and to her surprise, he countered with a shield bash to the side of her skull. If she hadn’t been wearing her helmet, it would have caused some major damage. As it was, now her head was ringing and she knew she couldn’t leave the helmet on any longer. The metal had begun to cave in, obstructing her vision. She would just have to be more careful as to not get caught out like that again.

Lena retreated slightly, removing her helmet from her head, shaking her long, dark hair from the confines, tossing the helmet aside. As she turned her attention back to James, she saw a look of recognition on his face as he faltered, lowering his sword slightly.

“Lena? Is that really you?” He asked incredulously. Lena rolled her eyes.

“Did it really only take you two years to forget what I looked like?” She asked coldly. James flinched.

“They told us you were dead.” He explained. “How…” Lena just rolled her eyes.

“They lied to you. Every single one of them.” She spat, venom lacing her voice, raising her sword, taking advantage of his momentary lapse in defense, swinging both her swords at him. He just barely managed to raise his shield, managing to deflect her blows, though not without a sharp pain running through his arm at the force behind her attack. She went in for another attack, this time he dodged out of the way.

“They wouldn’t…” James said, this time meeting her own blow with one of his own, deflecting her attack.

“They would. And they did.” She hissed, taunting him, trying to throw him. “They all knew I was alive. They were there.” She said. “They all knew I was the daughter of Hyperion when they returned from the quest. And yet, J’onn decided to tell everyone I was dead.” She spat, launching a strike at him with the sword in her right hand. He deflected it, but suddenly she followed through with the sword in her left hand, managing to knock the sword of James’ hand, the man caught off guard by her speed and strength. She kicked it out of his reach as he raised his shield to defend from an overhead power attack. But Lena’s strength had grown exponentially over the last two years and the blow was so hard, it knocked James to the ground from the sheer force of it.

“We had heard whispers of a demititan,” James admitted, trying to buy himself some time. “But nobody had any idea it was you.” He said fear in his eyes as Lena’s fiery gaze flicked down to meet his. She pointed one of her swords at his chest.

“You know, I have orders to kill you.” She said, standing over him, one of her feet pressing his chest to the ground. He struggled but was unable to shake her.

“Kara.” He gasped out, the force of Lena’s boot on his chest making his breathing shallow. Lena frowned.

“What about her?” Lena asked, curious what had become of the halfblood.

“She still believes in you. Still loves you. It all makes sense now why she refuses to move on.” He said, her behavior making sense for the first time in two years. He felt Lena’s boot ease slightly off his chest as he looked up at her, her eyes flashing green for a second before fading back to flames. “She still loves you, Lena. Refuses to give up on you. Even after two years.” James tried, seeing that Kara was a soft spot for Lena as the demititan was for Kara.

Lena narrowed her gaze at James before glancing over at Roulette who was leaning against the car, watching their exchange, the bodies of the two other halfbloods lying on the ground in a pool of blood. The daughter of Hermes had a wicked grin on her face. Lena turned her attention back to James, removing her boot from his chest, stepping away from him. “I should kill you. But I won’t. My lord Kronos wished to send your bodies back as a message, but a live messager from a party of three will be a far more effective message. Go home, James. The reign of the Gods is coming to an end. We’re coming for you. Soon.” She said She stepped away from him as he scrambled to his feet, grabbing his sword. He knew he was outclassed and his best hope was to return to Demos to report what had happened.

Lena went to pick up her helmet and walked over to the bodies, kicking the boot of the boy. She waved her hand over them, pulling one her innate magic, the bodies disappearing a flash of light. “Your friend’s bodies will be back at Demos, waiting for you. You probably don’t want to keep your friends waiting.” She said coldly. She whistled for their hellhound who came bounding out of the trees towards the three halfbloods. James cowered in fear of the monster, raising his shield in defense as Lena clambered onto his back, Roulette climbing on behind her.

“Lena…” James said wistfully. “I’m going to find some way to bring you home. There has to be a way.” He said, his voice full of hope. “I don’t know what happened to the kid I met a few years ago, but I promise I’ll find a way to get you back.” He said determinedly. Lena just chuckled.

“That girl is dead James. She doesn’t exist anymore. She grew up.” Lena said as the hellhound she was sitting on growled at James before slinking into the shadows.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So her first encounter with Superfriends! Of course, she let him go. If any of you thought I was going to kill off James... well. I'm not. There will be some deaths here and there. It's a story about a war after all. But all of the major characters will live through to the end. There's enough angst in this without worrying about someone dying. 
> 
> So I'm updating rather soon because I decided to participate in [Lena Luthor Appreciation Week](https://lenaluthorappreciationweek.tumblr.com/post/159454740923/attention-all-lena-luthor-fans-we-have-a-little) and will be posting a new chapter on the 19th for _Favorite Headcanon/AU/Fics/Art/Video_ day. So I decided to post an extra chapter now to tide you all over until then. 
> 
> I encourage you all, if you use Tumblr, to participate, even if you just write text posts for it! It's a nice and uplifting way to participate in the fandom and share your thoughts with the fandom in a positive way. 
> 
> Feel free to come scream at me or with me on Tumblr: aeon-wolf.tumblr.com


	5. Commander

I.

It took two jumps into the shadows for Lena and Roulette to make it back to Mount Othrys, but they managed. Lena had decided to forgo recruiting the hunters. She didn’t know anything of the reclusive bunch and figured it was probably more trouble than it was worth. The gods needed the additional allies. The Titans did not. Not to mention the amount of time it would probably take to convince them to join the Titans if they were even friendly to her faction. No, it wasn’t worth her time that could be spent elsewhere. 

Lena hopped off the hellhound, patting it on the shoulder, showing her appreciation for his services. Roulette followed suit, gracefully jumping to the ground. “So, what do we do now?” She questioned. 

“We report to lord Kronos. He will be expecting a full status report. Let me do most of the talking. Only speak when he asks.” She said sharply. Roulette nodded in agreement. She knew Lena knew what she was talking about and wasn’t about to stick her nose where it didn’t belong. “Follow me. We should probably get this over with as soon as possible.” Lena said with a sigh, heading towards the council room, Roulette on her heels. 

As she entered the castle, she was met by Iapetus. “Lena.” He greeted her. “I see you’ve returned.” Lena bowed.

“I have. Is Lord Kronos ready to receive my report?” She asked and her uncle nodded, gesturing for the two halfbloods to follow him to the council chambers. They followed the Elder Titan closely, Lena walking by his side, Roulette slightly behind him as a sign of respect. She may have a sharp tongue, but she knew her place. And it was not at Lena’s side. 

“Your mission was successful then?” Iapetus questioned. Lena nodded. 

“To a degree. I’m sure lord Kronos will agree with my assessment of the situation.” She said confidently, though inside she wasn’t as sure. She was hoping, but she knew she had taken a risk in allowing James to go free. But she was internally conflicted. The moment Kara had been brought into the conversation, Lena’s thoughts flew to what Kara would think of her if she had killed James. And how repulsed Kara would probably be with her. And although she knew Kara wasn’t on her side any longer, she couldn’t stand to think that Kara hated her. So she had taken a risk. 

Iapetus opened the council doors, gesturing for Lena and Roulette to proceed inside, which they did, the Elder Titan closing the doors behind them and proceeded to his chair. The rest of the council had already gathered and were talking amongst themselves. Lena stood by the door until she was called forward, Roulette at her side. “Lena, you have returned.” Kronos beckoned her forward. She stalked towards the table, her spine stiff and head high. She stood rather formally again, her hands clasped behind her back. 

“I have my lord.” She said, bowing her head slightly. 

“Report.” He said curtly. Lena nodded. 

“We ambushed the band of three halfbloods outside of Seattle. As we suspected, they had flown to the city, cutting their travel time rather significantly. A sign that they are desperate.” Lena said. Hyperion nodded. 

“We figured as much. Zeus is fearful of our strength. He looks for allies where there are none. And carelessly. Continue.” He said thoughtfully. 

“We did as you instructed, intercept the halfbloods and send a message to the Gods,” Lena said carefully. “Two of the halfbloods were killed, their bodies sent back to Demos,” Lena said but Krios cut her off before she was allowed to finish her statement.

“And you were instructed to kill them all Lena. What of the last one?” He said dangerously. Lena’s gaze hardened, her eyes flaring a bit. 

“Yes daughter, what of this final halfblood?” Hyperion questioned, his own eyes narrowing in response to her own as he sat back in his chair. Lena heard Roulette’s sharp intake of breath behind her. 

“The halfblood was disarmed and at my mercy. But what better way to send a message to the Gods of our power than to leave one to return as a messenger himself. Instead of some vague threat of three bodies being dumped on their doorstep, two were delivered, the third alive. But if he was not with the bodies, they will fear for him until he returns. And then he can deliver our message to them. It is far more meaningful than three dead bodies.” Lena reasoned, her voice unwavering as she spoke. 

Kronos appraised her, his eyes boring into her soul. His attention flicked to Roulette who was standing behind Lena. “You, halfblood. Your name?” He asked. Roulette gulped but stepped forward beside Lena.

“Veronica Sinclair, my lord.” She said with a bow. 

“What do you make of this plan of my nieces?” He asked. Lena’s eyes flicked to Roulette who looked at Lena before looking back to the council. 

“It is not my place to judge her strategies, my lord.” She said cautiously. “She is my commander and I do not doubt her intentions.” She said. Lena raised an eyebrow, but she was grateful that Roulette had stood by her. Kronos nodded before turning his attention to Lena. 

“Do not disobey my orders again Lena.” He said cooly. “My commands are meant to be followed.” Lena flinched slightly. “But this time, you made the right decision. And have shown to have the loyalty of our troops. A better outcome than I had expected.” Lena let out the breath she hadn’t realized she had been holding. She nodded.

“I won’t my lord. Thank you.” She said, relieved that she wasn’t going to face punishment. From Kronos at least. 

“Good. Sinclair, you’re dismissed.” He said, waving his hand, the doors swinging open. Roulette bowed in respect, shooting Lena a sympathetic glance before leaving the room, the doors swinging shut behind her. Lena turned her attention back to the council, hands gripping each other rather tightly. 

“Your father wishes to speak with you after this meeting has concluded Lena,” Kronos said. Lena stiffly nodded, her eyes looking to her father who was sitting back in his chair, watching her. “Until then, we have much to discuss.” He said, waving his hand to conjure another stone chair. “Sit.” He said. Her eyes flicked to Kronos, gauging his seriousness, but she sat, rather surprised. He had never invited her to sit in their meetings, rather she stood to the side, like a soldier. 

“I sense your surprise, young Luthor,” Koios said, address Lena. “Do not be so. You have proven your worth. And as you are to be our ground commander, is it your duty to know of our full plans.” He said. 

“So this was a test?” She questioned. 

“Of sorts. You have trained for this since the day you came here, Lena.” Iapetus interjected. “But you had yet to prove yourself in the field. You’ve shown both combat mastery as well as strategic intelligence. Of course, you still have much to learn, but you far surpass any commanders of the Gods except perhaps the Gods themselves, who will certainly not descend from their fortress on Olympus to fight this war themselves. Not yet anyway.” He finished. Kronos nodded in agreement. 

“My brother speaks the truth. It is time for you to take your place as our ground commander.” He said. Lena nodded. “We move to attack Demos by the end of the month.” He said. “We have secured a location for a base of operation in the city.” Lena nodded. 

“What of Demos’ fortifications? They will certainly be protected from any outside attack.” She questioned. 

“One of our spies, Maxwell Lord, a rogue son of Hephaestus will drop their defenses at our command.” Hyperion supplied. 

“We have little time to ready our troops,” Lena said. “Many of the newbie halfbloods have yet to face their first Dracaena and come out unscathed,” Lena said with some distaste. Hyperion sighed. 

“We will have to make do with the halfbloods. Krios, you and I will have them ready by the end of the month.” Hyperion said dangerously. “Those that aren’t ready will have no place at our side. That should be sufficient… motivation.” He said with a wicked smirk. Lena almost cringed because she knew first hand what kind of motivation he was able to give. 

“With your own training complete and an adequate job done of your first military mission, you will be tasked with readying our forces for war,” Kronos instructed. “You will report directly to Hyperion for your assignments. Welcome to your new position commander.” He said, rising from his chair. “We will speak again soon.” He said, the doors of the chamber opening and the King of the Titans exiting the room. Lena stood, but lingered behind as Iapetus, Krios and Koios exited the chamber as well, until it was only Hyperion and Lena left. 

“Walk with me.” He said, beckoning her to follow him. She did, walking in stride with him as they exited the council room and began to wander the halls of the castle. “I would not recommend doing what you did today again.” He advised her.

“I don’t know what you’re talking about.” Lena denied. Hyperion stopped, turning to Lena, his eyes flaring. 

“I know that you spared that halfblood’s life because you were once friends with him Lena. Don’t take me for a fool. Nor Kronos. Your actions may have been overlooked because you were able to give a reasonable explanation for them and that they will be beneficial as you have said. But remember, your loyalties are to us.” He said, staring her down. “All your so-called friends are no longer so. They are working against us. Against you. And you would do good to remember that.” He said, resuming their previous pace. 

Lena stayed silent, not sure exactly how to respond. Of course, her father had seen right through her. She couldn’t deny that he was right. They finally reached what was apparently their destination, the forges. A telekhine approached Hyperion, bowing. 

“My lord?” The monster asked. 

“Are they finished?” Hyperion asked and the telekhine nodded. “Fetch them for me then.” He said coldly. The monster nodded, hurrying away, coming back with two twin swords in his hands. He handed them to Hyperion who then dismissed the monster. Hyperion turned to Lena. 

“I had these made for you. To commemorate your first successful military mission and your promotion to ground commander.” He said, handing Lena the new swords. The young demititan accepted the weapons, grabbing one with each hand, inspecting the blades. They were similar in construction to her old ones, golden in color with the sun mark on both hilts. They were thinly shaped, more similar to katanas rather than conventional swords. 

What made these swords different from her current ones were the dangerous heat coming from the sharp of the blades, glowing a soft orange. She inspected the magic that was clearly imbued into the blades. “They will interact with your pyrokinesis.” Hyperion clarified. “Respond to your power. Use it to control the temperature of the blades, they will crackle and burn on command.” He said. 

Lena frowned, holding the right on in front of her, pulling on her limited power over fire from her belly. She felt the heat rise within her, willing it into the blade. She was slightly taken aback as the edge of the sword burst into flames before settling on a light crackling of fire on the edges. She allowed the fire to recede, the flames going out and the metal cooling. Her own powers of pyrokinesis had been a latent ability Hyperion had unlocked within her after her first year. Once she had mastered her natural power over light, she was gifted a weaker version of pyrokinesis. She was nowhere near as powerful or gifted with the abilities as born pyrokinetic but she was immune to fire as a result as well as possessed limited control over fire. But she couldn’t conjure flames without some assistance, such as the magic in the swords, nor could she control anything larger than a fire in a fireplace. 

“The fire essence in the blade will respond to your powers.” He said, placing a firm hand on her shoulder. “Use them well.” 

“Thank you, father. Lena said, looking up at Hyperion. 

“You have worked hard over the last two years Lena.” A hint of pride in his voice that she rarely ever heard from him. “You’ve come far. We still have some work to you with you, but our efforts are about to pay off. We are on the precipice of a war and victory will see us all free of the gods. We will finally be truly free to act as we choose.” Hyperion said wistfully. 

Lena returned to her room, setting her new blades on her bed, untying her current swords from her back. She took them out of the sheaths, setting them reverently on a spare weapon rack on her wall. They had served her well over the years, but it was time to move on. To break in a new set of blades that would inevitably see much bloodshed in the coming weeks. Lena put her new swords in the sheaths, putting them in their spot on the wall. 

She sat on her bed, unstrapping her boots, tossing them to the side, rubbing her feet. She pressed her hand against the sun crest on her chest, her armor retracting into the belt around her waist. She had just picked up a pair of shorts and pulled them up as she heard a knock on her door. “Just a second.” She said, grabbing a bra and putting it on, then pulling a white tank top over her head. She headed to the door opening it to reveal Roulette on the other side. 

“Oh.” She said, having expected one of the Titans to be at her door. She opened the door further, inviting the halfblood into her room. 

“You know, for someone that has given you many passionate nights, I would have thought you would be happier to see me.” Roulette teased. Lena just rolled her eyes. “So, commander, how did it go?” She asked curiously. 

“We launch our first attack at the end of the month,” Lena said, knowing that was soon going to be made common knowledge among their troops. “And I will be in charge of training your asses so you won’t get killed by the first opponent you come across.” Lena sigh with a groan. Roulette chuckled. 

“That’s probably easier said than done. I can handle myself, but I know from experience that most of the halfbloods here are hopeless. Only about one in six are any good.” Roulette said with a shrug. 

“Yes, I know. And any of you that can’t defeat a Dracaena before we depart to Demos will not be joining us. And my father has his own… encouragement to subject them to. And believe me, you do not want to be a part of that.” Lena said with a grimace. Roulette shuddered. 

“If the bruises and scars on your body are any indications, I think I would rather like to avoid that.” Lena nodded curtly to her statement, looking down at the scars that littered her body. She was never self-conscious of them. They were a testament to her strength. And she had the dangerous reputation now to match. 

“Thank you for today,” Lena said abruptly. Roulette was slightly surprised. 

“For what?”’ She questioned. 

“For standing by me. At the council meeting.” Lena said, having come to mistrust most people over the last couple of years. Roulette just nodded. 

“You’re our commander now Lena. You need to be able to trust your soldiers. And I know you can’t trust many people. I’m just trying to relieve you of one person. You can trust me to stand beside you.” Roulette said genuinely. “And of course, if someday you come to your senses and decide you’re up for a little fun… well…” She smirked. Lena just chuckled, shaking her head. 

“You’re certainly something else. But I’ll keep your offer in mind.” 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> In celebration of Lena Luthor Appreciation Week, welcome to another Lena centric chapter, seeing her be promoted to the Titan's ground commander for the coming war. This obviously sets her right in the line of fire and as we all know, she's going to come across more Superfriends in the coming few chapters. 
> 
> It is going to intense, but it should be good for everyone too. Two years to air their grievances and dwell on their thoughts is a long time. So everyone coming head to head will be rather... explosive for some. 
> 
> Feel free to come scream at me or with me on Tumblr: aeon-wolf.tumblr.com


	6. Report

I.

“James!” Kara cried frantically as the older man trudged up the steps of Demos, the blonde running down to meet him and throwing her arms around his shoulders. He grunted slightly, wrapping his own arms around her waist. “What happened?” She questioned, wanting answers, but James didn’t speak immediately. Rather silently holding his friend, thoughts racing through his head. 

“We were all so worried! When Conner and Alira’s... “ Kara hiccuped. “Without you, we all feared the worst.” Kara had tears dripping down her cheeks. 

“I’m okay Kara. I’m okay. But we all need to talk.” He said seriously, stepping away from Kara, giving her a grim look. Kara frowned. 

“Who is ‘all of us?’” She questioned, but James just gave her a critical look. 

“You, me, Alex, Mon-El, Maggie, Winn, and J’onn. We have a lot to talk about.” He said. 

“Can it wait? You look exhausted.” Kara tried to convince her friend to rest first, but he shook his head. 

“It can’t.” He said with a tone of finality. Kara nodded once. 

“I’ll get everyone in J’onn’s office.” She said quietly. “I’ll meet you there?” She questioned and James nodded. 

“Thanks, Kara.” He said with a small smile, the blonde squeezing his shoulder firmly before scampering off. James watched Kara’s retreating form, a grim look on his face. He knew she wasn’t going to react well to what he had to say. And he hoped that they all a good reason for keeping Lena’s role in the coming war from him.

II.

It only took Kara about ten minutes to gather everyone in J’onn’s office, James stood by the door, everyone else sitting in chairs, J’onn at his desk. “So what’s this all about James?” Winn questioned, looking up at their friend. He frowned. 

“Why didn’t you tell me that Lena was still alive?” He asked bluntly. Almost everyone’s eyes widened, though J’onn frowned. 

“I… we….” Mon-El stuttered, but J’onn cut him off. 

“They were instructed to not tell anyone. The Gods decided that Lena’s defection to the Titans was to be kept quiet. They were made to swear on the River Styx to never tell anyone, including you.” J’onn said. James nodded once, glad that there was a real reason they hadn’t told him. But that didn’t alleviate all his concerns. 

“Wait. Let me get this straight, you came across Lena?” Kara asked for clarification. James nodded curtly. 

“She was there. And another halfblood, I didn’t recognize her. But they forced a fight. The other halfblood killed Conner and Alira.” He said. “Lena and I… we fought, and she had me on my back.” He recalled. “But she let me go.” He admitted. Alex furrowed her brow. 

“Really? I find that hard to believe.” She said. Kara glared at her sister angrily. But Alex wasn’t fazed by it. 

“I… no. She was different, yes. But she had her boot on my chest. Sword ready. But she didn’t. She let me go. And I think you had something to do with it.” He said, addressing Kara. 

“Me?” Kara asked softly. James smiled, nodding at his friend who was obviously still quite affected by Lena. 

“Yeah. I know you haven’t seen her since…. Yeah. But her eyes are a strange shifting red, orange and yellow. But when I mentioned you. And you still care for her, her eyes flashed back to green.” He confirmed. Kara’s brows raised slightly. “And she let me go. She said it would be a better message, but I think she didn’t want to kill me. She couldn’t do anything for Conner and Alira after that other halfblood went after them. But she wouldn’t kill me.” He said. “And she had orders to do so.” He finished. J’onn appraised James silently. 

“Do we know that it wasn’t just part of some greater long game?” Alex asked cautiously. “Lena has always been a good strategist. And I’d imagine after training with the Titans for two years that she is probably even better now. There has to be an ulterior motive.” 

“Alex, can you not even fathom the idea that maybe Lena isn’t bad?” Kara argued. 

“Kara, when are you going to realize that Lena isn’t on our side?” Alex shot back. Maggie placed her hand on Alex’s arm. 

“Alex…” She warned. Alex huffed, sitting back in her chair. Mon-el, who was sitting next to Kara, put a hand on her shoulder to get her to calm down a bit. 

“I think Kara is right,” James said to everyone’s surprise. 

“You do?” Kara and Winn said at the same time. He just nodded. 

“She was different. Granted. She isn’t the same kid we took under our wings. She’s grown up.” He said, parroting her words. “But there’s something about her.” He said thoughtfully. “She’s not beyond redemption.” He argued. Alex frowned but stayed silent. J’onn just sighed. 

“I know you all want to believe in your friend. But we have to go off of what we know. We know from our spies that the Titans are preparing to launch their attack on Demos within the coming weeks. I was going to wait until our next meeting to tell you this, but since you’re all here…” J’onn trailed off, eyeing Kara carefully. 

“What is it, J’onn?” Maggie jumped in. The man just sighed. 

“We got news that Lena has been promoted to their ground commander. Officially. She’ll be leading the attack on Demos herself.” He informed them. Kara just blinked. Alex warily looking at her sister, knowing that this was just further proof that Lena was their enemy. She was about to open her mouth before Maggie gave her a warning look. 

“So we’ll come face to face with her for the first time in two years,” Kara said with a small voice. J’onn nodded in confirmation. Kara’s breath caught slightly. James looked down at her, placing a reassuring hand on her shoulder. 

“Do we know anything about their forces?” He asked. J’onn looked directly at James, then sighed. 

“I suppose you have as much right to be here as the others now.” He said. “Nothing solid. We know they have roughly between fifty and sixty halfbloods and countless scores of monsters. And of course the Titans themselves, but there is nothing of if they are planning on joining in on the fight. I highly doubt it. If they’ve promoted Lena to ground commander, they probably won’t plan on entering the battle themselves.” He finished. 

“Lena wouldn’t have been promoted without some sort of test or something…” Mon-El trailed off, looking up at James. “Do you think that’s why it was her that was going after you?” He asked.James shook his head. 

“I doubt it. She was ordered to kill all of us. Conner and Alira clearly didn’t make it.” He said sadly. “But if that was supposed to be her test, why didn’t she kill me?” He reasoned. “I don’t know what it was, but I don’t think it was that.” He said with a shrug. Mon-El nodded. 

“So what do we do?” Winn asked. “We know that Lena has become a master. James, what’s she like?” He asked, looking up at the only one of them to have seen Lena in the last two years. 

“She’s… like nothing we’ve ever fought before.” He recalled. “She’s a patient and elegant fighter like we all knew she eventually would be.” He said. They all nodded, knowing how much raw talent Lena had. “She wields two swords now. And your information is right, she’s a master. I’m almost ashamed to admit it, but she made pretty short work of me, though I did get a couple of hits in.” He admitted. “But she’s a dangerous fighter. Not someone that should be taken lightly. Especially if the Titans have seen fit to make her their commander.” Maggie nodded in agreement. 

“I had her pegged for a good fighting talent rather quickly,” Mon-El said. “That first day she held her ground against Kara.” He said wistfully, remembering a better time when they were all having fun together. Before things got complicated. 

“You know, I was going to actually disarm her first thing, just to tease her. But she blocked me appropriately. And went on to actually give me a challenge considering how little she was trained.” Kara said. “I knew she’d be good.” 

“None of this really helps us guys,” Winn said. “I mean, yeah, we all knew she was going to be good, but she’s going to be gunning to try to kill us!” 

“I agree with Winn,” Alex said. “We need to know what her weaknesses are and how to exploit them to our advantage.” She said, her strategic mind kicking into gear. 

“Well…” James started but decided against continuing. 

“What?” Kara looked up at James. He shifted uncomfortably. 

“I think her weakness is still you.” He admitted. “She hesitated when I first brought you up. I almost think she let me go because she was reminded her of you. I also did bash her on the head with my shield.” He added. “She was wearing a helmet!” He insisted after Kara gave him a dirty look. “I actually didn’t even know it was her until I dented it and she had to take it off.” 

“So she’s not unbeatable is what I got out of that,” Maggie said. And James shrugged. 

“I guess not. But it’s probably going to take a master swordsman to stand up to her.” He said. Everyone looked at Kara, who frowned. 

“No! I’m not going to. I can’t.” She cried. 

“You are the best at fighting out of all of us Kara,” Mon-El said. Kara raised an eyebrow. 

“High praise from Mr. Ego himself.” She teased, trying to make light of the situation. He just chuckled, shoving her lightly. 

“We still have some time to get prepared.” J’onn stepped in. “James, I’d recommend you get some rest. Everyone has been worried about you, but you must be exhausted.” James nodded, his fatigue finally starting to settle in. “We’ll resume this in a few days.” He said. Everyone nodded and filed out of J’onn’s office. 

III. 

Kara was lying on her bed, running her hand over the book that Lena had given her. “There’s got to be a way” She mumbled to herself. There was a knock at her door. “Come in!” She said. The door opened to reveal a more well rested James. “Hey! Feeling better?” She asked. And he nodded, stepping into her room and sitting down in the chair at her desk. 

“She give you that?” He asked, pointing at the book in Kara’s hand.

“How did you know?” She questioned and he just smiled. 

“She loved reading. And you were giving that book a sad look.” He said with a sad smile. “I’m sorry by the way. I know you really liked her.” 

“I… yeah. I loved her.” Kara admitted softly. “I still love her. I don’t believe like J’onn, Winn, and Alex that she’s beyond reach. She just needs to be reminded that we’re always going to be here for her, no matter what.” Kara insisted. James nodded. 

“I know. I agree with you Kara.” He said simply. 

“You do?” Kara said, a little surprised, but he just nodded. 

“I do. When Lena started here and joined our little circle, she was new. I think somewhere, she was a little scared of our world. And she latched on to us because we welcomed her into our world. She just needed a little acceptance and she jumped in head first. I don’t think that has changed.” He reasoned. Kara smiled, nodding. 

“Yeah. I guess I’m the one scared now. It’s been a long time since I last saw her. Two years. I still believe in her, but sometimes I wonder if she still believes in me.” Kara admitted, sharing the fear lingering in the back of her mind. James leaned forward and placed one of his hands on hers. 

“She still believes in you Kara. I know that. I know I didn’t go on the quest with you, but even before you left, Lena always gravitated towards you. Sought you out before anyone else. Shared things with you that she didn’t with anyone else I’m sure. She cared for you Kara. And she still does. She didn’t respond to me. She responded to  _ you _ . I think she’s just scared. And you’re right, two years is a long time. Who knows what the Titans did to her. I’d probably be scared for my life if I was in her position. She’s strong Kara. She always has been. Don’t give up hope. Not on her.” He reassured his friend. Kara felt a tear or two roll down her cheek. 

“Thank you, James.” She said, leaning in and hugging her friend. “Everyone else has steadily given up on her. Even Maggie and Mon-El. But I can’t. She’s not evil. I know it. I know her.” Kara said, her chin resting on James’ shoulder. James wrapped his arms around the blonde, rubbing her back. 

“I know. You don’t have to justify yourself to me. I believe you. And I’ll support you, Kara. Whatever you decide to do.” 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello! Sorry I haven't posted in a week and that this is a little shorter than normal. Life has been really hectic with school. Dead week is this week. I had an essay and case study due yesterday and today respectively. But I wanted to at least get you a short update before finals next week. Then updates should go back to every two or three days. And back to their usual length.
> 
> I figured we had spent a lot of time on Lena, and while this is a Lena centric series, I also wanted to visit Kara and friends briefly before they all come face to face again. I also wanted to include James more in this one. So he'll be a bigger presence in this one than the last. 
> 
> Also can we discuss how amazing 2x18 was? I know they're trying to set up evil!Lena but damn that episode was good. 
> 
> Feel free to come scream at me or with me on Tumblr: aeon-wolf.tumblr.com


	7. Preparation

I.

Lena grunted as she was thrown to the floor, back smashing against the stone floor. She felt a heavy boot place itself on her breastplate as she looked up at Krios. She snarled at the older Titan. He just gave her a sneer, pressing his foot harder against her chest. Lena knew if she had been human, she would certainly have been crushed under the force her was using. As it was, she would only be bruised in the morning. Nothing that she hadn’t endured countless times before. 

Unfortunately for her uncle, he had neglected to restrain her arms. So she flicked out one of the built-in knives in her suit, stabbing it into a chink in his armor. Krios yelled out in pain, lifting his foot off of her, allowing Lena to scramble off the floor, grabbing the sword she had let go of to stab him. She turned to see Krios’ hard gaze. Her own eyes narrowed as she let her fire course through her body, a familiar heat running down her arms to her hands. The fire essence in her swords coming to life and crackling with a dangerous red fire. 

Krios gripped his two-handed sword tighter as Lena approached slowly. And she suddenly attacked with a ferocity to rival her father. Her adrenaline pumping as both her swords clashed with Krios’ blade, sparks flying from the impact. Sweat dripped down Lena’s forehead as she used her formidable strength to push against Krios’ blade. The Titan himself frowned as he fought against her strength. 

He was rather easily able to force her back, he was about to advance on her when Hyperion stepped in. “That’s enough.” He said firmly. Krios stopped his movements, stepping away from Lena. Hyperion moved from where he was watching the two fight into the center of the arena. “Leave us.” He said to Krios. He nodded, nodding slightly in approval to Lena before leaving the father and daughter alone. 

“I expect you to fight with the same ferocity against those halfbloods you once called friends.” He said dangerously. Lena’s eyes narrowed at his insinuation. The last few weeks Hyperion had been rather overbearing during their training sessions. He was constantly reminding her that Kara and her friends were against the Titans and therefore against her. She always nodded in understanding, but deep down, she refused to believe it. To a degree at least. She knew Kara would certainly not approval of the person she had become, but she fought to hold on to the idea that Kara had forgotten about her entirely as her father suggested. James had told her otherwise. Kara was still hung up on her. 

That thought was one of the few things still fueling Lena. A couple of weeks after her promotion to ground commander had been rough on the rest of the halfbloods. She had personally overseen their progression alongside her father. She knew she had at least scared them all into submission. She recalled the exact moment like it was yesterday. 

II. 

_ "And why should we follow you? I know who you are. Lena Luthor. You spent what? A couple of months at Demos before claiming your cushy leadership role just because your father is Hyperion?” Lena narrowed her eyes at the rather idiotic halfblood in front of her. It was the first day her promotion had been announced to the troops. Their scores of monsters knew how formidable Lena was. Many had witnessed her power and strength first hand. The halfbloods on the other hand… Only a couple of them had actually fought her. But any of the halfbloods that had been with the Titans for more than a year knew that Lena wasn’t to be messed with. But this one was obviously fresh meat.  _

_ She glanced at her father who had a protective, angry look in his eyes, staring down the halfblood but making no comment or move. These were Lena’s future troops. It was up to her to earn their respect. “Don’t presume to know what I’ve been through.” She said icily. She noticed in the corner of her eye, a gleeful look coming from Roulette, watching the exchange. No doubt the daughter of Hermes was hoping to see Lena put the stupid halfblood in his place. “Grab your sword and stand up.” She said dangerously. A look of fear passed quickly over his face before it changed to that of pride and arrogance. Lena internally shook her head. She was looking forward to forcing him into submission.  _

_ He grabbed a rather shiny short sword and a mid-sized shield, standing from his seat and moving towards Lena. The dark haired woman fought to roll her eyes but drew her own swords. She noticed a few of the older halfbloods shift uncomfortably in their seats, knowing what was about to come next. She turned her full attention to the halfblood in front of her. “What’s your name?” She asked coldly. He puffed out his chest a little bit.  _

_ “Ben.” He said proudly. “Son of Hephaestus.” Lena raised an eyebrow. One of Winn’s brothers. Interesting.  _

_ “Well Ben, if you think you don’t owe me your respect, I’ll show you why I’m not to be messed with.” She said cooly. Ben raised his shield in anticipation of her attack. Sloppily leaving his right side exposed she also noted just from a once over. She shook her head. They had a lot of work to do if some of these pathetic halfbloods were going to be ready to fight a war in a couple of weeks.  _

_ Lena darted forward, faking towards his left, protected side. He went to block her blade before she immediately switched her position, slamming the flats of her blades into his unprotected side. He grunted in pain as she stepped back quickly and hit him with the hilt of her blade right between his eyes. The halfblood yelled out in pain, clutching his now bleeding nose, his sword clattering to the ground. “Pathetic.” She spat. “Does anyone else want to question me?” She asked dangerously to the group. None of them spoke.  _

III. 

The next couple of weeks had been brutal on many of the halfbloods. Some, like Roulette, had shown their mastery of combat and gotten through the weeks rather easily. Some, like Ben, had struggled greatly and earned some  _ personal _ time with Hyperion. Lena had caught a glimpse of a few of them who returned from their time with him clutching what looked like bruised ribs and numerous cuts. She did not envy those that had to spend time with her father. She knew first hand of his cruelty and although some of these halfbloods were weaklings, would never wish that on anyone. 

By the end of the few weeks, most of the halfbloods had been whipped into passable shape to fight alongside their armies against the Gods. And now she stood, listening to Kronos address their war council at their new underground headquarters in National City, just miles from Demos. “We launch our first attack on Demos tomorrow.” He said, sitting back in his chair. He turned his attention to Lena. “You will be leading a portion of our troops to judge their strength.” He said. “I expect we will retreat from his battle. I want to know the strength of their army. The Gods still hide on Olympus and from our spies, do not send additional aid to the halfbloods.” Lena frowned but nodded. 

“Of course.” She said, standing stiffly. “How much of our forces will be deployed?” She questioned. 

“A few squads of Dracaena, a quarter of our halfbloods, a pack of hellhounds and a few telekhines," Kronos responded. Lena nodded curtly. She could make do with that. It would be enough to launch the first attack. Especially if they had the element of surprise she expected. 

“And their defenses?” She asked. 

“Taken care of. Maxwell Lord will lower their defenses on our signal.” Hyperion interjected. 

Lena nodded in acknowledgment. “If that is all…” She trailed off, silently asking to be dismissed. Kronos nodded. 

“You are dismissed. And Lena. Failure is not an option. Your loyalty is to us. You would do best to remember that.” He said coldly. Lena’s back stiffened slightly but she just bowed slightly, not allowing herself to relax as she left their presence. As the doors shut on the war room behind her, she allowed herself to relax a little bit, heading over to their training areas, wanting to oversee her troops for a while. Over the last few weeks, she had come to believe they were ready, most of them at least. And she trusted them to carry her through her first real combat command. 

She stopped to watch two halfblood spar, leaning against one of the stone pillars. “Tomorrow huh?” A voice said beside her. Lena jumped a little bit in surprise as Roulette appeared next to her out of seemingly nowhere. 

“Fuck. Stop doing that.” Lena protested. “And yes, how did you know that?” She asked the daughter of Hermes. Roulette just shrugged. 

“Rumors spread. But your response just confirmed it.” Lena rolled her eyes. “I’m assuming you’re bringing me at least. You can’t lead your first real command of our troops without your best friend, now can you?” Roulette teased. Lena snorted. 

“I suppose I could use you.” She relented. Roulette smirked. 

“See, I knew you were warming up to the idea.” She said with a wink. Lena rolled her eyes, playfully shoving the other woman. 

“I didn’t mean it like that and you know it.” She chuckled. Roulette pouted.

“Well, as I said, the offer still stands if you ever change your mind.” She teased. 

“And I told you I’ll keep it in mind. Though I highly doubt I will.” Lena pushed back. Roulette’s offer was the furthest thing from her mind. 

“You’re going to see her tomorrow, aren’t you?” Roulette asked suddenly. Lena turned to face the daughter of Hermes. 

“Most likely,” Lena admitted softly. “I don’t know if I’m ready.” Roulette put a gentle hand on Lena’s shoulder. 

“You are. You’re nothing if not strong Lena. Two years of what you’ve been through prove that. This is nothing. You can do this.” She reassured her commander. Lena shrugged. 

“I suppose we’ll find out tomorrow.”

IV. 

Lena had a night of restless sleep. Her thoughts keeping her up into the early hours of the morning before finally getting a few hours of uneasy sleep. She rose just before sunrise as she did every morning. She laid awake in bed for a while, staring at the stone ceiling. Today was the day she would come face to face with everything she had left behind. And face the few people that ever had believed in her. And that she had ultimately betrayed. 

It took her another fifteen minutes to finally get out of bed. Ever since she had taken her position as commander she was rarely seen among her troops without her armor on, so she removed her sleepwear. She grabbed her belt from its hook on the wall, wrapping it around her waist and pressing her hand on the sun crest on the buckle. Her armor expanded from the belt, covering her body in golden plates, allowing for a durable, but flexible armor. It could deflect most light hits and some heavier and still allow her to be rather agile. She sat on her bed, pulling on her boots before grabbing her swords from a rack on the wall, strapping them to her back. 

Lena approached a box she had set on the table, opening it gingerly. Inside lay the dagger Kara had given her, glinting as it caught the ball of light Lena used to light her room. She grabbed the dagger from the box, running her hand along the blade. “I’ll see you again. For the first time in forever.” Lena said to herself before she slid the dagger into a slot in her boot. It wasn’t a perfect fit, but it worked well enough. 

She, then, exited her room and headed to their mess hall to grab some food. Most of the halfbloods rarely woke as early as she did so she wasn’t surprised to see the mess hall mostly empty. Lena grabbed a cup of coffee and a bagel, sitting down at an empty table. She picked at the bagel, ripping pieces off and sticking them in her mouth, occasionally sipping from her cup. 

“You look like shit.” A rather familiar voice said as some sat next to her. Lena almost groaned. 

“I swear, you follow me everywhere,” Lena said, taking a drink. 

“Stop deflecting. Not have a good night?” Roulette asked. Lena rolled her eyes.

“What do you think?” Lena said sharply. Roulette just raised her hands in surrender. 

“I’m just saying. I don’t want to have to be saving your ass out there today because you want to take a nap.” She jested. Lena just chuckled. 

“You won’t have to worry about that. I promise.” Lena said, relaxing a little bit. 

“Good, it probably wouldn’t look good if you had to be saved like some damsel in distress.” She teased. 

“Kronos and Hyperion would probably have my head, I’m sure,” Lena said. 

“Well then, I guess we’ll have to make sure you come back victorious.” Roulette said with a rather dangerous glint in her eyes. Lena knew that look well. And she hated to be any halfblood that had to tangle with Roulette that day. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It's almost here. Next chapter Lena and Kara will come face to face for the first time in two years! Exciting. And probably rather angsty if you're into that. This was a chapter of mostly filler to get us from the last chapter to the next. But probably necessary to bridge that gap. And I want to make the next chapter really... well good. And my muse right now is just like, nope. Again, apologies for not updating in a while. Finals, you know? Writing so many essays kind of makes me not want to write fanfiction. But I'm almost finished, so updates should be more frequent again. 
> 
> I only once over'd this chapter to fix any glaring mistakes that I could catch, so sorry for any errors. It's 1 am and I probably should be asleep, but I wanted to update. Also, I was listening to **Warriors by Imagine Dragons** when I was writing this chapter, so the chapter is partially inspired by that song. If only because when I listen to music when writing, I unintentionally tend to capture the essence of the song. 
> 
> Also can I just say: How can Lena and Rhea have more chemistry in 2x19 than Kara and Mon-El have had all season? Well, don't answer that, I know why, but still. Almost depressing. 
> 
> Feel free to come scream at me or with me on Tumblr: aeon-wolf.tumblr.com


	8. Meeting

I.

Lena stood, hands clasped behind her back as she watched her troops prepare. Halfbloods donning armor and sheathing their weapons. Monsters sharpening their own blades. Hellhounds snarling, chomping at the bit to be released. Hyperion stood next to his daughter, overseeing the entire process. "Today is the beginning of the end." He said stoically. Lena glanced up at her father.

"It is." She said simply, looking back to the preparing army.

"You've come far since the first day you took my mark." He said. "You are more than prepared. But I warn you again, do not let your feelings for the halfbloods cloud your judgment. They want to kill you. And stop us. And if we lose this war, you can be assured that you will not be treated with mercy." He warned. Lena nodded curtly, knowing full well of her interest in this war. She would probably the one of the first on the chopping block if Zeus got his hands on her. It wasn't that though that scared her. What she was afraid of would be Kara's reaction to seeing her again. That thought had been haunting her for years. And had been at the forefront of her mind recently.

"I know. I will not let you down, father." Lena almost snarled out. Hyperion placed a firm hand on Lena's shoulder.

"I know you will not." He said, looking to the army before them. "It is time. Lead our side in the beginning of our glorious fight for freedom from the tyranny of the Gods, my daughter." Lena's gaze hardened. She sometimes hated when he referred to her as his daughter. She didn't want to acknowledge it. Because deep down, she knew she was more like him than she wanted to admit to herself.

II. 

Lena decided to forgo her helmet for this fight. She hated wearing it and certainly, everyone at Demos knew who was leading their forces, so there was no reason to conceal her identity. She stood at the head of their army, Demons within her sight. She was waiting for the signal from Maxwell Lord that their defenses had been brought down.

She heard mumbles and murmurs behind her, the halfbloods questioning what they were waiting for. She turned her head. "We are waiting for Demos' defenses to be lowered. Unless you would like to go charging in and be knocked on your ass before being shot by some child of Apollo that will certainly be lurking in the windows." She hissed. The murmuring halfbloods immediately silenced. Lena noticed Roulette chuckle and wink at her. Lena fought to roll her eyes before turning her attention back to Demos.

Then she saw it.

There was a subtle shimmer of purple/blue energy that flashed a few times before fading. Her superior eyesight saw in one of the front windows, a brown haired halfblood, looking through a spyglass, giving her a thumbs up. She nodded. Lena turned to the army behind her, giving them her full attention. "It is time. Today is the day we have been training in preparation for so long. Demos is but our first target in our war on the Gods. They have ruled over us for long enough. We will secure our liberation and freedom." She said proudly, though she, unlike many others, knew that although their goal was to overthrow the Gods, the Titans would be quick to move into their place. And many would fare just as badly as they had under the Gods. She always wondered what possessed some halfbloods to side with the Titans. But she never questioned. It wasn't any of her concern.

She drew her swords, stepping out from the shadows of the rather large dark alley they were hiding in, approaching the school. Obviously, Demos had been prepared for an attack, because as they approached, a volley of arrows was launched from the school towards them. Lena picked up her speed into a fast break towards the school, weaving in and out of the arrows. Her Titan-enhanced speed allowing her to dodge most of the arrows and those that hit her bounced harmlessly off her golden armor.

Some of the telekhines were not so lucky as she heard a couple of screams behind her and as she glanced back, a few fell to the ground, dissolving into dust. Lena burst through the high metal fence, the school's defenses having been taken down by Maxwell. She ran up the steps towards the front door, bracing herself for whatever could be behind the door, kicking it open.

III.

Her own troops swarmed into the entrance hall, engaging some of the halfbloods that were scattered around, equipped with their own armor. Lena's eyes scanned the battlefield before she noticed, out of the corner of her eye, someone charging towards her with a familiar looking shield. She turned her body, preparing for impact, raising her swords to repel the charge. His shield bashed into her swords, forcing her back a little bit. She immediately stepped back to take in the man in front of her. "Lena."

"Mon-El," She replied. "It's been a while." She said. He nodded, his sword still at the ready, shield still raised.

"Too long. You look... different." He said wistfully. "What happened to you?" He asked. Lena gritted her teeth.

"I grew up." She said, raising her own swords. Mon-El shook his head sadly as she approached him. She swung her sword at his shield, the metals clashing as Mon-El easily blocked the swing, countering with an attack of own. Lena deflected it as well, pushing back against his blade. She, then, swung low at his legs. He stepped back, avoiding her attack. The two traded a few more blows before they separated. "You've improved over the years," Lena said, her stamina having grown to where she wasn't even breathing hard. Mon-El, on the other hand, had a few beads of sweat dripping down his face.

He just grunted. "So have you. You're not that little kid I thought of as a sister anymore. Do you have any idea what you did to us, Lena? To me? To Kara?" He almost shouted. At the mention of Kara's name, Lena's eyes flashed to green before fading back to flames. She just snarls.

"And do you know what I've been through over the last two years? Don't even begin to pretend you've had it worse than I did, Mon-El." She spat.

"I didn't. We know what you've been through." He said without thinking. A surge of anger ran through Lena's body.

"You have no idea what I've been through." She snarled angrily. Mon-El, seemingly realizing his mistake, took a fearful step back as Lena stalked towards him. He raised his shield in an attempt to defend against her, but her strength had grown to almost rival Kara's strength and he cried out in pain as the impact of the strike forced his shield to be dented in on his arm. He attempted to make a desperate strike against her, but she easily disarmed him, his sword clattering to the floor. Her hardened gaze boring into his, Mon-El looked up at the girl Lena had become with some fear. Lena blinked, looking back at him.

She then took the sword in her right hand, slamming the handle into the side of his head, the son of Ares crumpling to the ground, knocked out cold. "I'm sorry." She whispered more to herself. But before she even had a chance to look around and take in her surroundings, she was tackled and thrown to the ground. Without thinking, she tried to get a foot between her and her attacker. She managed to wiggle her boot in between her and the other person, placing it on her attacker's stomach, kicking the other body from her before scrambling to her feet.

She looked over at who had the guts to attack her, seeing yet another person from her past. "Little Luthor. You've got one hell of a kick. Damn." Maggie joked, picking herself up from the floor. Before Lena had a chance to respond, Alex jogged over to them, her spear and shield in her hand.

"Lena." Alex spat. Lena raised an eyebrow.

"Not happy to see me I take it, Alex?" Lena questioned. Alex frowned.

"My sister may still believe in you Lena, but I am not so forgiving. We took you in. We helped you. We all trusted you. And you betrayed all of us, Lena. That's not something that I'll ever forgive you for." Alex spat. Maggie looked apologetically at Lena but said nothing. Lena just chuckled.

"I'm not here to ask for your forgiveness Alex. I know that what I've done won't earn me redemption. So it's a good thing I'm not looking for it." She said, raising her swords, as Maggie drew her daggers from the sheaths strapped to her thighs.

"I don't want to have to fight you Little Luthor," Maggie said. Lena just snorted.

"I'm afraid, you don't have a choice," Lena said, striding towards the pair cautiously. She knew from her own experience that Alex and Maggie were a formidable team. They fought perfectly in sync and they had probably only gotten better in the last couple of years together. Alex stepped in front of Maggie, to the shorter woman's protest, but Alex didn't let up. Alex had a significantly longer reach with her spear, so Lena had to be careful. She quickly appraised the situation before approaching with more intent. Alex lunged forward with her spear. Lena caught the tip on one of her swords, parrying the attack. She continued the advance, swiping towards Alex's shield. Maggie stepped to the side, deflecting Lena's attack on Alex, forcing Lena to retreat from the engagement.

Lena's eyes fell on Maggie left ring finger. "It looks like congratulations are in order. I always wondered when you guys were going to pop the question." Lena joked. Alex's eyes narrowed.

"Like you care Luthor." She said defensively. Lena just raised an eyebrow.

"Just because we're on opposite sides doesn't mean I can't be happy that you finally committed to each other Alex," Lena said honestly. Alex was about the retort, but Maggie cut her off.

"We wished you could have been there," Maggie said. Lena's shouldered tensed slightly.

"Yeah, well. I don't think I would have been welcome." Lena said, beginning to circle the pair, looking for an opening. Alex and Maggie now stood back to back, watching her every move.

"You wouldn't have been." Alex hissed. Lena just chuckled before stepping towards Maggie, lunging forward with her blade. Maggie parried the attack, as Alex turned and thrust her spear towards Lena. The demititan just barely was able to deflect the attack with her other sword, before retreating from the engagement again. The three traded similar exchanges for another few minutes, Lena not being able to break their defense. She frowned, deciding to go for a different tactic.

This time, she called on her powers, generating a light shield over her left sword, launching an attack on Alex again. But this time, Lena was able to trivialize Maggie's attempted defense as Maggie's attack hit the light shield. Lena was able to take Alex by surprise with her powers and she managed to slice Alex's leg, causing the older woman to cry out in pain as blood started to drip from the wound.

"Alex!" Maggie cried as Lena smirked, stepping back as Alex's center of balance was thrown off, the wound Lena inflicted making her limp, forcing Maggie on the defensive without Alex to be able to fully defend her. "Lena, what happened to you?" The woman tried. Lena huffed.

"Everyone always asks me that. What did you expect would happen, really? That somehow I would give myself to the Titans and somehow I wouldn't be molded into exactly this?" Lena spat.

"You brought that on yourself." Alex retorted. "Kara keeps wanting to show you mercy. That you were brainwashed or tricked or something. But I see now that you know exactly what you're doing. You're in full control of your mind. And when we bring you and the Titans down, I will show you no mercy. And I know Zeus won't either. Especially after he finds out you broke his daughter's heart." Alex spat out. Lena paused.

"Lena, please." Maggie tried to reason, propping Alex up. "We want you, the real you, back. I know you're in there somewhere. Just come home." She tried. While Maggie had long given up hope that Lena would ever come back, she always hoped, deep down, that there was still a part of Lena that was still there.

"Maggie, can't you see now? Lena isn't the same person she once was and never will be." Alex said, bitterness in her voice. Lena turned her attention to Alex, her eyes glowing dangerously.

"No, I'm not. And I don't want to be the person I used to be Maggie." She snarled, approaching the two. Maggie tried to defend the both of them, but Alex was losing so much blood from the gash in her leg, she was unable to properly defend herself and relied on Maggie. Lena easily knocked the knives from Maggie's hands, pushing the shorter woman to the side. Alex looked up at Lena, defiantly.

"You know, I always knew you'd come for me first." Alex snarled as she pulled a dagger from a sheath strapped to her arm. Lena gripped her sword tighter. It took all her willpower to not shove her blade through Alex's stomach right then and there. But before she had the chance to do anything, a body slammed into her side, throwing her across the entrance hall, her back slamming against the stone wall, rubble crumbling to the ground from the impact. Lena grunted, picking herself up off the floor. Looking over at who had thrown her. She stopped and hesitated at the sight.

"Kara," Lena said softly. The demititan lowered her swords slightly, staring at the woman she had been hung up on for a long time.

"Lena," Kara replied. "You look..." Lena braced herself for whatever Kara was going to say. "You're just as beautiful as you ever were." Lena was surprised. Whatever she expected out of Kara's mouth, it wasn't that. She looked Kara over. She was standing in her own armor, overly large broadsword in her hand.

"So do you," Lena said, not knowing what else to say, her eyes flashing green again. "But you're standing in my way." Lena's gaze faded back to red, her look hardening as she glanced at Alex who was looking rather smug.

"You know I can't let you do that Lena," Kara said, gripping her sword tightly, obviously prepared to defend her sister.

"Then it looks like we're at an impasse," Lena remarked. Kara nodded stiffly.

"I suppose we are." She replied, bracing herself for Lena's obvious attack. Lena shook her head but gripped her own swords tighter before charging at Kara. Both of her blades met Kara's single blade, the clash of metal echoing throughout their hall, their blades locking, their faces only inches apart.

"What happened to you, Lena?" Kara asked sadly. Lena wanted to roll her eyes but didn't, only because it was Kara asking.

"There was nothing I could do Kara. It was either this or they would kill you. And I wasn't going to let that happen." Lena confided in Kara. She saw a shimmer of hope in Kara's eyes as the blonde took her by surprise, letting go of her sword with her right hand, slamming her first against Lena's stomach, forcing her to break their locked swords. Lena grunted in slight pain at Kara's strength. It wasn't enough to seriously injure her, after all, she had endured worse during her training, but it still hurt.

Lena began to circle Kara again, like a predator, looking for an opening. She tested Kara's abilities, swinging her right sword towards Kara experimentally. The blonde easily deflected the blow but didn't counter. The two continued their game for a few minutes, though Lena had fought two tough battles before Kara and it looked that Kara wasn't even tired. So the daughter of Zeus did manage to get a couple of hits in on Lena. Her armor deflected most of the potential damage, but she was going to have some serious bruises after this was all over.

Finally, Lena committed to a line of attack, deciding to go for a disarm attempt. She used her superior speed, darting towards Kara, faking right then moving left. Kara, as Lena expected, went to defend her right side, but due to her mastery of the sword was able to catch Lena's fake, and defend against the sudden blow. However, Lena managed to slide her own dual blades down Kara's singular one, twisting and forcing the sword from Kara's hand, before grabbing Kara's shoulder tightly, stepping closer to Kara, so they were only inches apart, a hidden knife jutting out from her gauntlet and she pressed it up against Kara's neck.

"Lena." Kara gasped out, looking into Lena's flaming eyes. "Please, it's me. It's Kara. I... I know this isn't you. Where is the girl I fell in love with?" Kara questioned. Lena felt her heart clench at the pleading tone of voice Kara used.

"I..." Lena tried but faltered. What could she really say? She lowered the knife from Kara's neck with a sigh but didn't let go of Kara's shoulder or step out of her personal space.

"Please, just come home. We can help you." Kara begged. But Lena shook her head.

"Kara, you can't save everyone. Least of all me. This is my fate. I chose this. Do you really think the gods will let me live? After everything I've done?" Lena said bitterly. Kara's eyes softened.

"I can protect you! I can get my father to let you live and give you mercy. Just trust me." Kara offered. But Lena shook her head.

"I do trust you, Kara," Lena admitted softly. "But I don't trust him. How can I? All they ever did was lie to me. Turn me against my real family." Lena said a little louder, a little more angrily. "There is nothing you can do for me." She said a little frustrated. But being this close to Kara, looking at her puppy dog look almost made Lena want to give in. But she knew that she couldn't. Instead, Kara watched as Lena's eyes faded back to the bluish-green they once were as Lena smashed her lips, angrily, against Karas.

The blonde squeaked in surprise but allowed Lena to kiss her, having missed the feeling of Lena's soft lips against hers. A feeling she hadn't experience more than once and over two years ago. She moved her hand to Lena's armor covered hip, pressing her body against Lena's, trying to pull the girl she had missed so much closer, as to never let to go. But before long, Lena broke their kiss. She looked into Kara's deep blue eyes. "I was never able to get over you Kara. And I don't think I ever will." She lamented, but she stepped back from Kara. "But there's nothing you can do for me. And the next time we meet, I don't think I will be able to leave you alive again." Lena warned.

"Lena!" A voice from the front door yelled. Alex, who was still being propped up and protected by Maggie as they had watched the exchange between Kara and Lena, as well as the pair themselves looked towards the source of the voice. "We got what we needed. C'mon." Lena nodded stiffly at Roulette, glancing back at Kara.

"I'm sorry." She said, before darting away behind her friend as they retreated from Demos, leaving the interior of the school in ruins, many dead and wounded, in more ways than one.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ahhhh. This was a really fun chapter to write and I hope a good one to read. I just couldn't wait to upload it because well, I've not been as regular as I've wanted to be with updates for the last couple of weeks, so I decided to give you an extra treat. That chapter that everyone has been waiting for. 
> 
> I really don't know what to say about it really. Lena is obviously conflicted about everything, but she's backed herself into an impossible corner and she doesn't know what to do about it. But I hope that the meeting was what people envisioned. The next couple of chapters will be everyone regrouping and preparing for the Titan's next attack. And rest assured, we will get a bit more of the inner working of Demos and Superfriends. And how they're handling Lena's return. And a little bit more of Lena of course. 
> 
> Feel free to come scream at me or with me on Tumblr: aeon-wolf.tumblr.com


	9. Aftermath: Pt. I

I.

Kara looked around at the devastation that the Titan's attack had brought on Demos. Once flawless stone and marble walls, now in rubble. Blood smeared the floors, the walls, and any other surface that was visible. The halls of the school and indeed into the outdoors areas further on the school grounds was littered with dead bodies, the dust of defeated monsters, and wounded halfbloods. Children of Apollo were scurrying around to tend to the wounded. Other halfbloods tending to their own injuries. And others still were simply trying to process what had just happened.

Kara sat on the back steps of the main entrance building, her sword on the ground beside her. Her heart was numb, her fingers cold. She was coming down from her adrenaline rush and her body was beginning to ache.

Mon-El sat down next to her, rubbing his head, a rather large and ugly bruised bump on the side of it. "How are you holding up?" He asked his friend. Kara just shrugged despondently. She really didn't know what to think anymore. "I'm guessing you saw..." He trailed off and she nodded hesitantly. Truth be told, her mind was so caught up other things that Lena's reappearance in her life wasn't something she really had time to process.

"Yeah. I fought her." Kara said. "She's gotten better," Kara recalled the slight and brief surge of pride she felt as she fought Lena. She always knew that her friend had so much potential with a sword. And it seemed as though the two years the two had spent apart had only improved that skill tenfold. Mon-El nodded in agreement.

"She packs one hell of a punch." He said. "Knocked me out clean." He said, wincing as his head throbbed. "Anyway, J'onn wants all of us to meet. To debrief. And talk about what to do next." He informed Kara. The blonde nodded as her friend got to his feet, offering her his hand. She grabbed it as he pulled her to her feet. Kara bent down and picked up her sword, dragging it behind her as she followed Mon-El to J'onn's office.

The two entered the familiar office which had mostly escaped any damage. There was a little bit of collateral damage, but most of the fight had taken place in the entrance hall and out in the quad. As usual, Kara was the last to arrive, everyone else, including James, was already gathered around J'onn's desk. Kara avoided Alex's gaze, though she noted that her sister had a large bandage wrapped around her leg and a crutch next to her, Maggie staying very close to her.

Winn looked to have come out of it fairly unscathed and James had a few cuts and bruises but nothing too bad. J'onn also had a few scrapes, but nothing life threatening. Alex seemed to have suffered the worst of injury of all of them. "Kara." J'onn greeted her as she nodded, sitting down in a chair next to James, Mon-El taking a seat next to her.

"I know you all need time to recover, but we do need to discuss our plans moving forward, quickly. The Titan's forces retreated rather than stand and fight."

Alex interjected.

"One of the halfbloods, Veronica Sinclair I think, sounded the retreat, she told Lena that they 'got what they wanted.'" She informed everyone. J'onn frowned.

"Veronica Sinclair. I’m not surprised that is where she disappeared to. I can't say I know what they were looking for, but that may be cause to be cautious." He said. "You mentioned Lena, so you saw her?" He questioned. Alex gritted her teeth, but Kara shot her a look and Maggie placed a gentle hand on her shoulder.

"Yes. We saw her. We fought her. She was the one who injured Alex's leg. We don't know how she did it, but it was deeper than we first thought. It probably would have gotten infected if one of Apollo's kids hadn't been able to stop the bleeding and clean the wound quickly." Maggie said sadly. "But Lena is more powerful than ever. More so than I think any of us thought she could be." She said, Mon-El and Alex nodding in agreement.

"She made quick work of me," Mon-El admitted, a hint of pride though mostly hurt in his voice.

"What happened exactly?" J'onn asked curiously.

"She entered the school first before everyone else was overwhelmed by their forces. She was clearly their leader. Mon-El went to engage her first, though she fought and defeated him. Knocked him out. I wasn't sure what she was planning on doing next before I tackled her." Maggie recapped. "Then it was me and Alex fighting her. She tried to get through our defense but had to use her powers to throw me off before injuring Alex. I think she was seriously considering killing Alex before Kara intervened." Maggie said. Everyone turned to look at Kara, who just blinked.

"Kara?" James asked. The blonde ran through her brief confrontation with Lena in her mind before speaking.

"She... I don't know what she wanted to do to Alex, but she hesitated when she saw me. I think she's conflicted about everything." Kara insisted, continuing to stand up for the girl that was once her closest friend, though Alex just groaned.

"When are you going to get it through your head that she wants to kill us, Kara? Look what she did to Mon-El. To me!" Alex tried to get through to her sister, but Kara just gave Alex a dirty look.

"There's more to this story Alex. She didn't kill Mon-El even though she could have. She let James go. She injured you, but she didn't kill you. She left you alive. She told me that it was either join the Titans or we'd all die. She still cares for us. For me." Kara tried.

"She's still a danger Kara," Winn said carefully.

"She said that next time she will finish the job, Kara," Alex said, a little more calmly. "I'm just trying to look out for you. I know you love her, but she isn't the same person she used to be. I don't think that person even exists anymore." Alex said, a hint of sadness in her voice that Kara hadn't heard out of Alex's mouth in regards to Lena in a long time. “I love you, Kara. I just don’t want to see you hurt by her again.” She pled with her sister.  

"I'm inclined to agree with Alex and Winn, Kara. She is still a threat. I would hope that you are right and there is another side to this, but as it stands now, she is our enemy and she has to be treated as such." J'onn interjected. "She needs to be taken care of. Soon. Alive if possible." He said grimly.

"I don't know if I can condone killing her, J'onn." James surprisingly said. Kara nodded in agreement, as did Maggie and Mon-El.

"We can't kill her!" Kara cried. "She's still in there, I know she is. She just needs to be reminded of what she has here. She spent two years with the Titans. Probably being abused by her father. Add that on top of her past with her adoptive mom and I can see why she's doing this. But all of this... it can be undone. I believe in her." Kara said, repeating the line she had kept with her over the years.

Maggie and Mon-El didn't jump to agree with Kara. Though someone else did.

"I agree with Kara," James said. Alex frowned but didn't say anything. "Lena isn't evil. She's doing what she thinks she has to. We just have to show her there's always another choice. Lena is capable of making level headed decisions. She had orders to kill me. She didn't. I'm with Kara on believing this is more complicated than meets the eye." He said. Kara glanced at James, silently thanking him for standing with her. He just smiled and nodded slightly.

J'onn nodded thoughtfully. "Perhaps we should continue this at a later date. I'm sure you're all eager to rest up and take care of your injuries. I'll brief the Gods on what happened today and we'll reconvene after we've all had time to absorb everything." He said. Kara nodded gratefully, standing abruptly and leaving J'onn's office, not waiting for anyone to follow her. James sighed.

"I'll go talk to her." He said as Alex was struggling to get out of the chair, having to rely on Maggie. She wasn't used to being incapacitated.

"Stupid leg. It's just a fucking cut." She muttered under her breath.

II.

Kara wandered around campus, trying to lend a hand to Apollo’s kids where she could. Carrying the wounded over to their makeshift med tent to get looked at. She had to busy herself. She knew her brain would explode if she allowed herself to really think about what happened.

A hand grabbed her bicep suddenly and Kara stopped and looked up. “James.” She said. Her friend gave her a small smile.

“Do you want to talk about it?” He asked, though they both knew the it he was referring to was Lena. Kara shook her head.

“No. What is there to talk about?” She asked, wrenching her arm out of his grip and continuing her search for any injured classmates. James just followed her.

“There’s a lot to talk about Kara. You still love her. And I think she still loves you, somewhere.” He tried. Kara just shrugged.

“I know. And I’ll always stand up for her James, you know that. But if I let myself dwell on it, I’m going to go insane.” Kara said softly. James again reached out to stop Kara in her tracks.

“You don’t have to dwell on it, but keeping your feelings bottled up like this isn’t healthy either.” He implored. “I’m on your side, Kara. I want her back as much as you do. And I think you’re right that she can be saved. We just can’t give up on her.”

“Alex sure seems to not share that sentiment,” Kara said bitterly. James sighed.

“She’s your sister Kara. She’s just trying to do what she can to protect you. She can’t erase the past. But she wants to protect you from getting your heart hurt again. She thinks that Lena is a threat, and she is. I think we all need to acknowledge that. She can be dangerous.” James said, sticking up for Alex’s behavior. Kara sighed.

“I know she is. I just… I hate being caught between the two. I love Lena. And as much time that has passed since we were last on friendly terms, my feelings still haven’t diminished. But I also love Alex and I get she’s trying to do what she thinks is best. But don’t you think I should be able to choose what is best for me?” Kara asked. James nodded quickly.

“You should. But if it were Mon-El and he was pining over someone who was our enemy, wouldn’t you want to try to convince him to let it go? She’s your older sister and she’s looked after you for a long time.” James reasoned. Kara sighed and nodded.

“I should go talk to her. Apologize.”

“There isn’t anything for you to apologize for Kara. But you probably should go talk to her. You two have been tense ever since you came back from that quest. Even though I didn’t know why until now, it’s been obvious. And it probably hurts her as much as it hurts you.” He said.

“Do you know where she is?” Kara asked. James shrugged.

“She’s probably with Maggie. But your guess is as good as mine as to where they are.” He replied. Kara nodded.

“I’ll go look for them. There’s probably stuff we should talk about.”

III.

It didn’t take too long for Kara to find the pair. They had gone to Maggie’s room in the Nike building. Alex still had her own room in Athena’s dorms, but Maggie’s room was on the ground floor, whereas Alex’s room was on the second. So it made more sense for them to go there, rather than try to get Alex on the second floor with her leg. Kara knocked softly on Maggie’s door, waiting until her sister’s girlfriend opened the door. “Hey, Kara.” She said with a smile, opening the door a little wider. Kara stepped into the room to see Alex laying on the bed, her leg propped up.

“Kara,” Alex said, struggling to sit up. Maggie went over to help her, gingerly moving her leg into a more comfortable position. Kara smiled sadly at her sister’s injury before looking at Maggie.

“Do you think you could give us a few minutes alone?” She asked. Maggie looked at Alex who nodded.

“Yeah, don’t have too much fun without me.” Maggie teased before leaving the two sisters alone. Kara sat down on the bed next to Alex.

“Does it hurt?” Kara asked. Alex shrugged.

“As much as a cut that deep would. I’ve got to give it to Lena, she’s got some sharp swords to have cut through my armor and into my leg. Got a really good slice in there.” Alex said begrudgingly.

“I’m sorry about earlier.” Kara started. “I… I know you’re just trying to look out for me. And I guess sometimes I let my feelings for Lena get the better of me.” Kara admitted. Alex stayed silent, waiting for her sister to continue. “I just… I promised her that I would never give up on her. I would always believe in her. Maybe I just don’t want to let go of the person I know she can be.” Alex gave Kara a sympathetic look, rubbing her sister’s shoulder gently.

“I know you love her Kar. Longer than maybe even you knew. The two of you were always so close. Too close to just be simple friends. But you’re my little sister. I just don’t want to see you get your heart broken again. And maybe… Maybe I was a little angry at Lena for betraying us like that. Betraying you and your friendship. And that I couldn’t stop her. Wasn’t able to have done something to stop her.” Alex confided in her sister a little bitterly. “I’m just as angry at myself as I am at her.”

“But... “ Kara started but Alex cut her off.

“I just want you to be careful Kara. That’s all I’ve ever wanted. I want you to be happy again. But Lena is a threat to us. Whatever other side of the story there is, she is capable of killing all of us. I don’t know why she hasn’t. Maybe you’re right and she is conflicted. But I can’t just ignore a threat to my family.”

“I think she’s scared,” Kara said quietly. “Fear can make us do things we wouldn’t normally do. She was scared that the Titans were going to kill us. In her mind, I think she sacrificed herself to save us. She’s scared of what the Gods will do to her. My father isn’t the most… compassionate person. I’d be fearful too if I was her. Especially after she’s been… swayed by the Titans for so long,” Kara admitted. “I don’t know and don’t want to know the details, but Lena’s dad isn’t kind either. I’m sure he’s…” Kara choked up a little bit. “She’s not the same person we all used to be friends with. She’s colder, more brutal. I know that. But I can’t help but believe that the old her is still in there. But two years is a long time.” Kara said. Alex nodded slightly.

“I don’t know what to tell you, Kara. Just… I’m sorry too. I’ve been hard on you over the last couple of years. Maggie keeps telling me to patch things up between us. And I haven’t been there for you like I should have been. You were hurting and all I did was make it worse.” Alex said. “I still don’t trust Lena. And I don’t know if I ever will again, but I don’t want to contribute to hurting you either.”

Kara had tears welling up in her eyes as she leaned over to hug her sister, mindful of her leg injury. “I just want my sister back.” She whispered into Alex’s ear. Alex wrapped her own arms around Kara.

“And I’ll be here for you. Always.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello! New chapter from Superfriends! This story is certainly Lena centric as I've said, but it's still important to take a look at how our favorite demigods are doing. 
> 
> So one of the things that was unintentional on my part was making Alex so hostile. When you're a writer, sometimes the dialogue and story writes itself and goes places that you didn't intend. This was one of them. I feel as though I've almost made Lena/Kara's relationship more important than Alex&Kara, which I definitely don't want. It is one of the things that I hate in canon, the diminishment of Alex&Kara's relationship. She doesn't trust Lena. And I think she has a good reason as to why. But in being so hostile to Lena behind closed doors over the last two years, it, in turn, has put her at odds with Kara. And I want to start patching that up. Hence the end of this chapter. Things aren't all hunky dory between them after one conversation. But it's the first time they've really aired some of their grievances, except briefly in chapter 2. 
> 
> Beyond that though, next chapter we'll get a bit more of Lena, maybe some Roulette thrown in as well. 
> 
> Also, 2x21 promo? This Lena/Mon-El arranged marriage thing makes me cringe. I'm usually one to reserve judgment on an episode based on spoilers/promos because they're usually taken out of context and sometimes they work out given the context surrounding them. But Supergirl so far this season has really just disappointed me. Good thing Cat Grant will be back though I suppose. One silver lining in all of this. 
> 
> Feel free to come scream at me or with me on Tumblr: aeon-wolf.tumblr.com


	10. Aftermath: Pt II

I.

Lena was on Veronica’s heels about halfway back to their base before the halfblood stopped and turned around. “So? What was that?” She asked, a teasing tone to her voice. Lena blinked, but rolled her eyes, continuing to walk, her friend following after her. 

“That was nothing.” Lena tried to brush off. But both of them knew it was far from nothing. 

“Didn’t seem like nothing. Kara Danvers huh?” Roulette asked. Lena frowned. 

“I figured that since you used to go to Demos, you’d have known what Kara I was talking about.” Lena snapped but Roulette remained unfazed. Rather shrugging.

“Kara isn’t exactly a unique name. And I didn’t want to assume.” She said. “I’ll admit, you’ve got good taste.” She complimented. Lena groaned. 

“Doesn’t really matter though, does it? We’re not on the same side anymore.” Lena said curtly, wanting to get off the topic. 

“I suppose you’re right, but I noticed the way you look at her. You’re really into her, aren’t you?” Roulette pressed. Lena sighed but nodded. 

“Yes. And my father and uncles will have my head if I don’t do what has to be done.” Lena snapped. Roulette places a hesitant hand on Lena’s shoulder. 

“It’s not my place to question you, I know. But don’t you think there comes a point where you should be doing what you want to do, not what everyone expects you to do?” She said quietly. Lena paused for a second. 

“Perhaps. But what choices do I have any more?” She countered with a tone of finality in her voice. Wisely, Roulette didn’t continue to press the issue. 

“So, what’s the verdict on Demos?” Roulette asked. Lena shrugged.

“They’re about as strong as I expected. I admit, Kara did take me a bit by surprise, but it won’t happen again. Beyond that, they are weakened now and we only brought a portion of our forces to the battle. The next time we engage them, it will be with the intent to capture the school. And move on to Olympus from there.” Lena said. Roulette nodded. “If you thought this was hard, our assault on Olympus will be far more difficult.” 

“I’ve never been under any illusion that this was going to be easy Lena.” 

“Good, because it’s not going to be. The coming months are going to be tough. And I don’t think a lot of the halfbloods are going to live to see the end of it.” Lena said honestly. Roulette shrugged. 

“As long as I do, what happens to the others is really none of my concern.” Lena chuckled at the admission. 

“Ruthless.” She commented. Roulette just shrugged, patting Lena on the bicep. 

“I learned from the best.” She teased. Lena snorted. 

“Please, you were like this when you first joined us. You didn’t have to learn from anyone.” Lena shot back. 

“Details.” Roulette said, waving her friend off. Lena just shook her head and continued making her way back to their base.

II. 

“Commander, the Titans await your report.” A halfblood Lena didn’t know the name of said as she walked into their base. She nodded curtly before making her way towards the council room. She knocked and waited to be summoned. The doors immediately opened and she was ushered inside. All five Titans sat before her, Kronos at his customary place at the head of the table. 

“Lena.” He said, his deep voice echoing throughout the room. Lena bowed in respect, striking a formal stance, head held high, hands behind her back. 

“Our first attack was successful. Demos was prepared for our attack as we expected, but our initial goal was fulfilled. Their strength was as we expected. They have no backing or additional support from the Gods. They are on their own in defending Olympus. We suspect that Zeus has pulled the majority of their forces back to defend Olympus, leaving their own children for slaughter.” Lena said, slightly disgusted at the idea. Hyperion nodded at Lena’s brief. 

“What do we know of their remaining forces?” Iapetus asked. 

“I did not have the time to assess their casualties, but I would estimate we took out at least a fourth of their troops.” She said stiffly. Iapetus nodded, satisfied with her answer. The Titans sat in silence for a few seconds, Kronos closely appraising her before nodding thoughtfully. 

“Good. Our next attack on the school will be with the intention to capture it.” He said. Lena nodded, knowing that would be their next goal. “I am satisfied with your first foray into battle as our commander Lena.” He said. Lena nodded her head once. 

“Thank you.” She said respectfully. But Kronos sat forward in his seat slightly. 

“But…” Lena internally cringed. Anything beginning with a but wasn’t going to be good. “I do express concern about your ability to do what is necessary in regards to your previous so-called friends.” Lena frowned, concerned on where this was going. “We’ve had reports that you had multiple opportunities to kill the halfbloods and yet you’ve left them all alive.” Lena’s eyes flicked to Hyperion, who was gazing coolly at her. “Regardless of your past with these halfbloods, they are servants of the Gods. And you  _ will _ treat them as such.” 

“Are you calling my loyalty into question?” She questioned, gritting her teeth. Kronos’ eyes narrowed dangerously. 

“I caution you in questioning me, Lena Luthor. You may be a valuable, perhaps irreplaceable asset to us, but there are many ways to show you your place should your behavior warrant it.” He said icily. Lena realized her mistake rather quickly. She bowed her head.

“I meant no disrespect.” She managed to get out through her clenched jaw. “They will not be a problem in the future, my lord.” Kronos nodded slowly. 

“See that they are not. You are dismissed.” He said. Lena bowed before turning and leaving the council chambers. 

III. 

The doors closed behind her as Kronos gazed at the door his niece had just exited through. “Hyperion, Lena’s training remains incomplete.” He said, without taking his eyes off the door. 

“Brother?” Hyperion questioned, looking at the King of the Titans. Kronos finally turned to look at Hyperion. 

“Your daughter still remains attached to the halfbloods. There is no question of that.” He said. Hyperion nodded in agreement, he knew that. Despite the two years he had with his daughter, he had never truly been able to break her connection to them, especially to the daughter of Zeus, Kara Danvers. 

“What would you have me do?” He asked. 

“Break her. Cut off her feelings from her friends. By whatever means necessary.” Kronos replied, a sense of malice in his voice. Hyperion’s eyes flashed angrily for a brief second before he calmed. 

“Of course. But…” Hyperion started but Iapetus intervened. 

“I would proceed down this path with caution brother. Lena’s humanity is what keeps her strong. It is why she was born in the first place. To destroy her last remaining link to the human world could jeopardize that.” The Titan said and Hyperion nodded slowly in agreement. 

“She is powerful, though I agree her ties to the halfbloods hinder her. But… she is still my daughter Kronos.” Hyperion said in a rare show of compassion for his kin. 

“Careful Hyperion. She may be your daughter, but her loyalty is to the Titans. To me. And her actions today have put that in question. Her loyalty must be cemented and tested. And this is the only way to do so.” He said dangerously. Hyperion, of course, nodded.

“Of course, it will be done.” He said, though not without some apprehension. 

“Good. She is key in this war Hyperion. You know that as well as I. But I will not tolerate her weakness or insubordination if it comes to that. You will do whatever is necessary to… strengthen your daughter. And that’s an order.” Kronos said coldly. Hyperion simply nodded once, picking his helmet up off the table. 

“If you’ll excuse me, brother.” He said, leaving the room without waiting for an answer.” 

III.

Lena sat, alone, in her room, having taken off her armor and disarmed herself. She looked in the mirror that hung on the wall, seeing the fresh scars that littered her body. Now that she was allowed to finally relax, her body was beginning to ache. Dark patches started appearing on her skin where she had endured some hits from her fights. 

Lena picked up a small tub from her desk, unscrewing the top. She dipped her fingers into it, scooping some of the cream out of the tub, beginning to rub it on some of her bruises and areas that were particularly painful. The cream would help combat some of the pain and make sure her cuts wouldn’t get infected. She had a lot of experience with small injuries like this over the years. She made sure she was always stocked up on various ways to help the pain and make sure her injuries didn’t become more serious. 

Lena glanced to the dagger she had taken out of her boot and placed back in the box on her desk. Finally being allowed to relax and think about what had happened. She had known somewhere in her mind that she had a good chance of seeing Kara again, but still being face to face with her had taken Lena slightly off guard. And what was more surprising was Kara’s own behavior. Or at least, some of it. 

She had hoped that Kara would continue believing in her, even though she knew she didn’t deserve it. But to hear no tone of resentment in Kara’s voice had been surprising. Though the disappointed look in her eye had been enough to make Lena’s heart clench. Perhaps the most surprising thing had been the fact that Kara hadn’t shoved her away after Lena kissed her, rather pulled her closer. Lena reached up to touch her lips, feeling Kara’s lips against her own. She had only kissed Kara one other time. And her emotions were different in each situation. The first one was fear and sadness. This time it was anger. Mostly at herself. 

Kara deserved more than her. She deserved someone that could give her what she wanted, no matter how much Lena wanted to be that person. She couldn’t be. They were too different now. Maybe if things had been different, they could have started a relationship, found a love like Alex and Maggie had. But Lena partially blamed herself for giving that up. Kara really hadn’t had a say in her decision. 

Lena shook her head. Of course, Kronos had known of her weakness. And questioned her loyalty. He was right to do so. If she didn’t feel so backed into an impossible corner, she might actually consider taking Kara up on her offer. But Lena knew Zeus and the Gods would not be so kind to her. They would treat her like a threat. And they were right to do so. She was. She might be conflicted over her feelings towards Kara, and the rest of her friends by extension, but she was not conflicted in how she felt towards the Gods. She would never support them. The Titans weren’t good beings either, but at least they had been honest with her. And Lena valued that. She hated being lied to. 

Lena finished spreading the cream over her wounds and put the tub back. She took a moment to look in the mirror. Over the last two years, she had gained a slight amount of height, maybe half an inch or so, some last minute growth. Her muscles were far more defined than they had been. Hyperion and his training had seen to that. In addition to her strict training habits, she also adhered to some rather rigid eating habits and workout schedule. Perhaps the feature that had changed the most was her eyes as she gazed at herself in the mirror. Her eyes, once green with a mixture of blue now flickered from red to yellow to orange, like her father. Lena, for one, hated it. She hated anything that showed her relationship with her father. 

She didn’t want to admit it to anyone, least of all herself, but she was more like her father than she wanted to admit. She was generally more cool-headed than her anger-prone father, but she did have a temper that could sometimes get the best of her. They were both cunning and dangerously intelligent, both strategically and just generally. And they both tended to keep their deeper emotions bottled up. In fact, Lena didn’t think she had ever seen her father sad or anything of the sort. Rather he was more prone to anger and a dangerous sort of coolness. Occasionally she heard a hint of pride in his voice if she did something of worth. But that was it. 

There was a knock on her door. Assuming it was Roulette coming to bother her some more, she called for her to come it. It wasn’t her friend. It was her father. Lena stiffened her back a little bit as Hyperion opened the door. “Lena.” 

“Father.” She almost hissed. “To what do I owe this pleasure?” She asked. 

“Can I not visit my own daughter after she has just completed her first tour of battle?” He asked innocently. But Lena narrowed her eyes. Her father did not make house calls for any little thing. Hyperion chuckled at her caution, bowing his head slightly. “I see. Ah, no matter. You’re right of course. Kronos wishes for further training. Beginning tomorrow.” He said. Lena fought to roll her eyes but nodded. 

“Of course. May I ask as to what it will entail?” She questioned, though she had a good idea of what he had in mind. 

“You and I both know what he has found wrong with you Lena. I have tried to shield you as best I could from what he wants." Lena wanted to laugh if the last two years was his idea of shielding. "But my brother is right. You are letting your feelings for the halfbloods cloud your judgment. And if you can’t get a grip yourself, I will make sure you do.” He said coolly. Lena’s spine tingled slightly in fear of what her father was liable to do to her. But outwardly held her head high. She couldn’t show any weakness in front of him that he could use against her later. 

“Of course.” She managed to get out. Hyperion sighed, setting his helmet on her desk. He put a hand on her shoulder. 

“I don’t know why you’re making this so difficult Lena. These halfbloods. They aren’t your friends anymore. You may have once had a connection with them, but that is long in the past. They are past their usefulness to you. As for your love for Kara Danvers. A word of warning. Love is a weakness that you cannot allow into your life. It will do nothing but shatter your heart.” He said. “Titans do not feel love for a reason, Lena. Your humanity makes you different from us, but I’ve watched humanity. They have started war in the name of love. Brothers and friends killed. If it is such a strength, why do people die because of it?” Hyperion said, his gaze boring into Lena. 

Lena’s gaze hardened, her jaw clenched. “My feelings for Kara Danvers and the other halfbloods are not a problem. If Lord Kronos believes this additional training is necessary, it is not my place to question him, but I am capable of finishing the job.” Lena said. Hyperion narrowed his eyes, but stepped back from his daughter, picking up his helmet. 

“We shall see. I expect you in the training hall, tomorrow at sunrise. We have much to do.” He instructed before leaving her to herself again. As the door shut and she heard him walk away, Lena angrily kicked the chair in front of her before sinking down onto her bed, her head cradled in her hands.  

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ten chapters in! This chapter was kind of a pain to write because it had to be done, but it's also sort of filler until the plot moves forward in the next one. Which will actually focus on Kara for those of you wanting to see her and her struggles a little bit more. 
> 
> There is something that I do want to clarify real quick. I don't know how it works exactly in Greek Mythology, but here, the Titans and humans experience emotion differently. As said towards the end of the chapter, they really don't experience love. Not in the same way humans do. The way Lena does. So it is genuine that Hyperion doesn't understand how Lena feels. Is that an excuse for how he's treated her? Absolutely not. But their relationship isn't as easy as "He's using her because they need a weapon." I generally don't like making relationships between characters, especially if it involves major characters, simply black and white. I'm of the philosophy that complex characters deserve complex relationships. Hyperion is grossly manipulative and abusive, both with his words and his actions. But here, his words do have a sliver of truth. And that's what Lena has decided to grasp on to in order to cope with what she's been through. Which hasn't been pretty. I don't want to go into extreme detail about that, mainly because I don't have personal experience (thank god) and don't think I could do that justice. And because I think leaving it somewhat ambiguous allows the readers to interpret it in whatever way they want. Which I think is just as important as telling a compelling story. Allowing people to take what they want from your writing. 
> 
> Anyways, now that I've ranted about that. I'm glad you guys have been enjoying the story. It's been a joy to write. It's always really nice to read comments and messages people send me and hearing what people think. Because when you're around your own writing so much, sometimes you forget that it's completely new to other people. 
> 
> Feel free to come scream at me or with me on Tumblr: aeon-wolf.tumblr.com


	11. New Commander

I.

Meanwhile, Olympus had been fully briefed on the attack and the Gods sat in their thrones, discussing their own plans. “She is dangerous Zeus. We now have confirmation of her powers. We always knew Lena would be strong, but none of us imagined how strong.” Ares argued. No one spoke up. They all knew the God of War was right. Lena was a real and true threat. 

“Her full potential has been unlocked in her time with the Titans, as we all feared.” Athena counseled. “She poses the greatest threat to Olympus now.” 

“And what of her father and his brothers?” Demeter interjected. “Do they not pose a greater threat than that of their child?” Though Athena shook her head. 

“No. The Titans are bound by celestial laws. As are we. To prevent another Titanomachy. But Lena, as half human, is not. She has the freedom to act as she will. And at the command of the Titans, she poses a great threat. One that has never been seen before.” The goddess said. Zeus nodded thoughtfully, leaning back in his throne. 

“The demititan poses the most immediate threat. If we eliminate her, the Titan’s plans will fall through. They are relying on her.” Zeus said. Apollo looked as though he wanted to protest, but stayed silent. “If they have their own commander, should we not simply respond in kind?” Zeus pondered. A couple of the Gods frowned, including Ares and Athena. 

“My lord Zeus?” Ares questioned. 

“The Titans dare to use one of their children to lead their armies right to our doorstep Ares. Despite what I had previously thought of Hyperion, he has proven to take extreme measures, in their eyes, to win this war. They all despise humans. The fact Hyperion would willingly birth a child with one... “ Zeus trailed off. 

“Is troubling.” Athena finished. And Zeus nodded. 

“Lena Luthor is our number one threat right now. If we were to take her out, their plans would be severely hampered. Perhaps even halted.” He mused. 

“And who would you suggest to stand against her?” Artemis asked. “No halfblood is strong enough to truly stand up to a daughter of a Titan. Not with her power. And her skill. Despite everything that woman has been through, she is a force to be reckoned with. We all can agree on that.” She finished and all of the Gods nodded in agreement. They all knew Lena to be a fearsome warrior. Both from observing the first battle at Demos and just from knowledge of how the Titans operated. They would never allow her to be anything but dangerous. 

“As I have said in the past, my daughter is strong enough to stand against her.” Zeus pressed as he had years ago. Apollo protested this time. 

“And as I told you, Zeus, Kara Danvers cannot fulfill the tasks you would ask of her.” He said, his voice laced with concern, looking to Aphrodite to back him up as she had in the past. She nodded in agreement. 

“Desperate times call for desperate measures Apollo. Kara is the only one that stands a chance. She is the strongest of my children since Hercules himself. If any of our children could challenge Lena Luthor, it would be her. You all know this to be true.” Zeus argued. 

“He has a point Apollo,” Ares said. “Kara Danvers is strong. She’s disciplined. She has strong support from those at Demos. She would be the perfect ground commander to go toe to toe with Hyperion’s daughter.” Apollo groaned. 

“Fine. Fine. If you all refuse to see sense. But as I have told you, Kara Danvers will  _ never _ be able to kill Lena Luthor.” Apollo said, frustrated. “She will only be able to hold her off. Defend against her. Maybe help to destroy the Titan armies. But when it comes to the commander herself, Kara will never be able to kill her.” He insisted. 

“That is a risk I’m willing to take, Apollo. If Kara cannot finish the job, there are plenty of halfbloods that can. All Kara has to do is incapacitate her. Anyone else could finish the job.” Zeus replied calmly. 

“I would caution you on that Zeus,” Aphrodite interjected. “Kara Danvers will not only fail to kill Lena. But she will protect her to the end.” Zeus sighed. 

“We have no other options, Aphrodite. Lena is a threat that needs to be neutralized. We don’t have a choice. If Demos falls, it’s only a matter of time before the Titans march on Olympus. We need someone to match her.” Aphrodite shook her head slightly but relented as well. 

“So we are all in agreement that Kara Danvers is to be granted the siphoned powers of a Titan and become the hero of Olympus?” Zeus asked the council. There were ayes heard throughout the hall, even half-hearted ones from Aphrodite and Apollo. “Good.” He said.

II. 

Kara was in her room, doodling when there was a firm knock on her door. She frowned, but got up from her desk and opened the door. “J’onn, what are you doing here?” She asked curiously. 

“Come with me, Kara.” He said with a tone of urgency in his voice. Kara nodded, stepping out into the hall and following J’onn back to his office. “What is the emergency?” Kara questioned on their way. 

“It’ll have to wait until we back to my office Kara. It’s a rather… sensitive matter.” Kara nodded, following on J’onn’s heels. They quickly reached his office, both of them stepping inside and the door swinging shut behind them. Kara sat down in a chair while J’onn went back behind his desk. 

“What’s so important?” Kara asked again. J’onn sighed. 

“You have been… summoned to appear before the Gods on Olympus.” J’onn said grimly. Kara’s jaw almost dropped. 

“What? Me? Why?” She questioned. 

“I’m… not at liberty to say, Kara. That is for them to inform you, but they have requested your presence as soon as possible.” J’onn told the young halfblood. Kara bit her lip, nodding slowly. J’onn waved his hand at a door in his office, the same door that led Lena to the Oracle. 

“The Gods have set up a portal to Olympus through that door. It’s not safe for you to be traveling to Olympus the normal way.” J’onn said. 

“Okay,” Kara said getting up from her chair. 

“And Kara? Be careful. The Gods are doing what they think is right for our world. But what is right for you is just as important as that.” J’onn said kindly. Kara’s lip quivered slightly but nodded stiffly. 

“Thank you,” Kara said honestly before grabbing the doorknob, opening the door and stepping through the portal. 

III. 

Kara felt an uncomfortable tugging at her stomach as a strong magic pulled her through space and deposited her in the middle of the Olympian council room. Kara looked up at her surroundings in awe. She had never been to Olympus before. Very few halfbloods ever had been. Most of the time, if the Gods needed a halfblood, they visited them at Demos. Or out in the real world if the situation called for it. 

Kara’s eyes zeroed in on her father who was sitting on the largest throne. She bowed slightly out of respect. “Dad.” She greeted him cautiously. 

“Kara. I’m sure you’re wondering why we’ve called you here.” He addressed his daughter. Kara glanced at the other gods, receiving a rather icy glare from Hera. Kara cringed slightly but nodded. 

“J’onn said it was important…” She trailed off. 

“It is. We have been discussing how best to combat the Titans in their war on Olympus.” He informed her. Kara frowned slightly. 

“And what does that have to do with me?” She questioned. “I’ve been fighting just like anyone else at Demos. We managed to repel their last attack.” She said though she neglected to mention that Demos would probably not be able to repel another. 

Zeus nodded but sat forward in his throne slightly. “That is true Kara. You have fought valiantly in the name of Olympus. This is what we wish to discuss with you. We have also discussed the threat that Lena Luthor poses to all of us.” He said carefully, trying to approach the topic gently. The hair on the back of Kara’s neck bristled slightly at the mention of Lena.

“She... “ Kara started. 

“She is a threat, Kara,” Ares interjected. “A dangerous one at that. Her power eclipses any power you or any halfblood has. The Titans gave birth to the Gods. And while your power is twice diluted, hers is only once.” Kara bit her tongue to keep herself from snapping back at Ares. It wouldn’t do to talk back to a God. Especially one as hot headed at the God of War. 

“He is right Kara. She is dangerous. We need someone on the ground that can hope to stand against you. And you’re the only one that can.” Zeus said. 

“But…” Kara protested. 

“Be careful how you respond Kara. The fate of Olympus and perhaps humanity is in jeopardy because of the Titans. And she is their greatest weapon. We have no hope to stand against them if we cannot produce a commander that can go hand to hand with her.” Athena informed the halfblood. 

“I... “ Kara stammered, unable to voice her thoughts. 

“You would be elevated to our ground commander. Lead our forces against the Titans. We retained a portion of the Titan’s power, siphoned from them as part of our agreement years ago. We would wish to gift some of that power to you, in order to augment you to help you in your struggle.” Zeus informed his daughter. 

“And what of Lena?” Kara managed to question. Zeus’ gaze hardened. 

“She is a threat, Kara. She needs to be taken care of. Permanently.” He said harshly. Kara frowned, her brow dipping in concern. 

“No.” She finally said. Zeus looked rather surprised. 

“No?” He questioned. Kara held her head proudly. 

“No. I’m not going to kill her. And if that’s part of your conditions, I’m not going to help you with that.” She said angrily. She turned around and almost stomped out of the council rooms, unsure of where she was going. All she knew is that she had to get out of there before she said other things she would regret later.  

She burst out of the council building and onto the streets of Olympus. Kara found herself relaxing the further she got away from the building, her shoulders untensing and her jaw unclenching. Kara took the time to look at her surroundings. Olympus really was a beautiful place. Though Kara figured it had to be if it was the home of the Gods. Kara found refuge in a small park, sitting on a small boulder by a lake. She sighed, unsure of what she was supposed to do now. She had certainly offended the Gods. But it wasn’t like they could do anything serious to her. They needed her, at least, she thought they did. 

Kara’s ear perked up as she heard a rustling nearby and someone approaching her. Kara made to stand up but a soothing voice spoke up,

“No need to get up on my account Kara Danvers.” The voice said. Kara relaxed a little bit, sitting back down on the boulder, though she bowed her head to the individual that had come into view. 

“Lady Aphrodite.” She said respectfully. “I’m… sorry about earlier.” She said, looking into the water. She felt the goddess sit down on the boulder next to her. 

“Kara, I of all people cannot fault you for wanting to follow your heart. Surely you know that.” The Goddess of Love reminded her. Kara sighed. 

“I just… I can’t. You once told me I was destined to fall in love with the daughter of a sun god. Someone who wasn’t light or dark, good or evil.” Kara said wistfully. Aphrodite nodded. 

“You have been dealt a hard hand in your life, Kara. You deserve a great love in your life. But you should know that love isn’t easy. You have to want it. Have to work for it.” She said. Kara looked from the water at the goddess. 

“So was it Lena you were talking about?” Kara asked though she knew in her heart that Lena was the one she was destined to love. Aphrodite chuckled. 

“Kara, you don’t need me to tell you what you already know.” She said with a little amusement in her voice. Kara just sighed. 

“I just don’t want to let go of her. But I know that Zeus and Ares, and my sister and everyone else is right, she is dangerous. And a threat. But I can’t help loving her.” Kara lamented. 

“But is allowing your father to choose someone else who has no qualms about killing her really the best option Kara?” The blonde frowned. 

“But…” Kara started. 

“There are many who Zeus could have chosen that would destroy the daughter of Hyperion without a second thought, Kara. But your love and compassion might be what we need to win this war. Your father often gets too caught up in brute strength and power to achieve his goals. But he overlooks the power of love. Perhaps you alone will be able to end this war and keep her alive.” Aphrodite told her. 

“I… She seems so far away from whatever love or feelings that we might have felt for each other.” Kara said sadly. “What if I’m wrong and she’s past saving?” Kara questioned. 

“Doubting your feelings for her and hers for you isn’t you Kara. Your heart knows that it still yearns for her. And if you stop thinking with your head and start listening to your heart, you’ll know what to do. Lena Luthor is not irredeemable. But she will be if you give up on her.” Aphrodite said, before getting up and leading Kara to her thoughts, not giving her a chance to question her words.

IV. 

Kara trudged back up the steps to the council building, taking a deep breath and opening the doors. She walked back through the halls in the throne room. She shifted uncomfortably as Zeus turned his attention to his daughter again. “Kara…” He said coldly, but Kara cut him off. 

“I apologize for my behavior earlier. It’s just… It’s been a stressful few days. What with the attack and all. I’m afraid I let my emotions get the better of me.” She said. Zeus’ gaze softened slightly. 

“See that it doesn’t happen again.” He reprimanded her. “Have you given more thought to our request of you?” He asked his daughter. Kara nodded slowly, glancing at Aphrodite who had returned to her own seat. She gave Kara a slight, encouraging smile. 

“I have. I will accept the title of commander and lead our forces to defend Olympus.” She announced. Apollo shifted uncomfortably in his seat but said nothing. Zeus, on the other hand, looked proudly at his daughter. 

“I’m glad you have come to your senses, Kara.” He said, beckoning for Hermes to hand him something. The God of Travelers handed him a decorative, golden urn. Zeus waved his hand over the top, the lid lifting off the urn. Kara felt the room turn cold, a chill running up her spine. “In order to stand up to the daughter of Hyperion, you will need to be granted the powers to match hers.” He said. 

The King of the Gods waved his hand over the open urn, a shimmery substance floating out of the urn. It reeked of unstable and uncontrollable power. Zeus sent the substance towards Kara. The blonde steeled her expression, unsure of what was to come. The substance halted in front of Kara. “Reach out and take the power granted to you,” Zeus instructed her. Kara hesitantly stepped forward slightly, raising her hand and thrust it into the substance. 

She heard a crackling around her as the substance latched onto her arm, a cold feeling creeping up her arm and into her body. Kara clenched her teeth as the shimmery substance crept up her arm and enveloped her chest before sinking through her clothes and into her skin. Kara gulped as she felt the cold sensation overtake her body accompanied by a sudden rush of power. It filled Kara’s ear with a rushing sound, her blood warming despite the coolness of her skin. 

Her body glowed slightly before returning to normal. “Kara Danvers, from this point until the end of this war, you have been granted the powers of a Titan and will lead Olympus’ forces to victory against the daughter of Hyperion,” Zeus announced. Kara frowned, but knelt down on one knee, bowing respectfully, Aphrodite’s words in her head and her heart. Lena wasn’t beyond redemption. And Kara would do anything within her newfound power to make sure that the demititan came to her senses. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Let's up the stakes, shall we? The power of a Titan, the power of a God and the freedom of humanity. If you wanted to see OP Kara, this is what it looks like. And she and Lena will come face to face, once again, sometime within the next couple of chapters. 
> 
> Feel free to come scream at me or with me on Tumblr: aeon-wolf.tumblr.com


	12. Adjustments

I.

Kara sat in J’onn’s office, alone with the headmaster himself. “And this is to be your new role in this fight Kara?” He asked seriously. She nodded. 

“It is. My father believes I’m the only one strong enough for it.” She said quietly. J’onn sat back in his chair, nodding. 

“It is not my place to question the Gods. But are you sure you are up for this Kara?” The son of Ares asked out of concern. “We both know that Lena will certainly be a part of many future battles. And I know she is something of a sore subject for you…” He trailed off. But Kara nodded. 

“We would be meeting again regardless of this arrangement or not, J’onn. But my father is right, we need leadership, someone equivalent of Lena’s position here, to rally our forces. I can do that!” Kara insisted. “It’s not like I’m not already part of our war council meetings anyway! Everyone here trusts me.” She reasoned. She had their confidence, she knew she could lead them to defend Olympus. 

J’onn just nodded. “If you’re sure Kara. I was going to let everyone know this at our next meeting, but since you’re here, we’ve found the location of the Titan’s base here in the city. An underground bunker network not far from here. I’ve already sent a few haflbloods from Hermes dorm to scout. They should return sometime in the next few days.” He confided in the new commander. Kara nodded. 

“Do we know anything about their next attack? When it might be? And how many?” She asked. J’onn shook his head. 

“We don’t know much. I’ve received some early reports that Lena seems to be undergoing additional training. Something to do with her performance in their last fight. But we don’t know anything about it. Just that it is going to be a week or two. So I’d assume we’re not expecting another attack until then.” He reasoned. Kara nodded, time for her to test her new powers. “Get some rest, Kara. I think after everything, you’ve earned it.” He said. Kara grimaced but nodded. She got up out of the chair, jokingly saluting at J’onn. 

The two shared a smile before Kara exited his office and headed, not back to her room, but to find Winn. She beelined for the forges since she figured that was probably the most likely place to find the son of Hephaestus. And her guess was right since she found Winn pouring over some of his schematics on one of the workbenches. He lifted his head as she entered, smiling and waving at her. 

“Hey, Kara! What brings you here?” He asked curiously. Kara shrugged, sitting down across from her, looking at the blueprints. 

“What are these?” She asked, genuine in her curiosity. Winn was one of the most brilliant inventors she had ever met. 

“Oh, these? Schematics for the monster grenades. I’ve been trying to find a way to attach a homing device or something to them so they can target monsters, not halfbloods.” He said. Kara nodded. She remembered the first time he has tested those grenades on the Scythian Dracaena what seemed like forever ago. “So, how are you holding up?” He asked. He knew that she had been going through emotional turmoil for the last few days. Kara just shrugged. 

“I... “ She considered lying, but they both knew that she was terrible at it. So she groaned. “I don’t know what to do Winn.” She confessed. “I was summoned by the Gods.” She confided in him. He and everyone else was going to find out at some point. Winn looked surprised. 

“What for?” He asked. 

“They wanted me to become our commander. To match Lena.” She said quietly. Winn went silent for a few minutes, gazing at Kara, appraising her. 

“And you’re okay with that?” He finally asked her, the blueprints in front of him all but ignored. Kara put her elbows on the table, her chin resting in her hands. 

“I’ve got to be.” She mumbled. Her eyes flicked to Winn. “I do have a favor to ask you though.” She said hesitantly. Winn just grinned, gesturing for her to continue. “I know you’re busy with our weapons and all, but I was wondering if you have the time to design me a suit of armor?” She asked. She figured that she probably shouldn’t be going up against Lena, who was fully equipped, completely unprotected. 

Winn smiled and nodded eagerly. “Oh yeah! I’ve been wanting to design you a suit for months, Kara!” He said, excitedly getting up and folding the schematics in front of him up, heading over to a drawer, pulling it open. He pulled out a tube, opening the top and pulling a large piece of paper out of it. He padded back over to Kara, rolling it out in front of her. Kara raised an eyebrow. 

Before her was a full design for an armor set. “You’ve been…. Busy.” She commented, looking down at the designs. Winn just shrugged.

“What can I say? You’re my best friend. If I could design something to keep you safe, you know I would in a heartbeat.” He replied. Kara’s heart clenched at the confession. “I actually have been redesigning parts of it ever since I saw Lena’s armor.” He admitted. “The original designs weren’t as flexible and easy to move in. But after getting a look at how hers was made, they seemed to have made it out of different individual plates covering what looked like something of a bodysuit. So I asked Maxwell for ideas and he said that the bodysuit could be made out of arrow resistant material and the plates could be made for protection against blade attacks, close combat, you know?” He asked, pausing. Kara nodded, following where he was going. “It wouldn’t be exactly like hers because obviously, I don’t know how hers was made, but it did give me a lot of ideas, design wise.” He said sheepishly. Kara nodded. 

“Do you think you’d have the time to give it a test run?” She asked hesitantly. He nodded without a second though. 

“For you? Anything.” He said reassuringly. Kara smiled gratefully. 

“You’re the best Winn. Let me know if you need any help. I owe you, big.” She said. 

“That’s what friends are for Kara. But I’ll keep that in mind, there’s probably from scrap metal around here somewhere that I can find.” He teased. Kara rolled her eyes. 

“Well let me know. I’m sure you’ll put me to work.” She teased back. 

II,

The next few days mainly consisted of Kara spending time in the training arena, alone out in a field, working on expanding her powers and in the forges helping Winn. It was good to finally be able to get her mind off of everything, relatively speaking. She worked on improving her skill with the sword, drilling herself on different methods of attack and defense. Her mind constantly drifting to the way she memorized Lena’s movements. How talented her friend had become over the years. From day one, Kara knew Lena had a lot of raw potential that just needed to be cultivated. And it seems that it had been.

If she was honest with herself, she was also a little embarrassed that Lena had been able to disarm her. And as much as she wanted to blame the fact she hadn’t seen Lena in two years and had been distracted by her, she knew that wasn’t the case. Lena was just that good. And Kara got the feeling that she had far more tricks up her sleeve that she hadn’t pulled out the last time. 

Kara would also spend hours away from the school buildings, though still within the relative safety of Demos' campus, testing the limits of her newfound power. It wasn’t as impactful as Kara had imagined, though she figured it was because they were siphoned powers from the Titans, rather than Lena who had been born with them. Rather they helped her to be more on par with Lena herself. 

The blonde found her stamina had significantly increased, both physically and in regards to her powers. Kara recalled that when she had been first learning to control her air manipulation powers, she could often only use them for a very short time before becoming exhausted. Her stamina grew as she trained more, but she had her limits. Now, after she had absorbed the power of the Titans, she found that it was far easier to use her powers and she could use them longer. Kara wondered if, eventually with enough work, she could use them without limit. 

Kara could often be found manipulating air currents around her, flying around the fields she was training in. She found it calmed her somehow. After all, children of Zeus were made to take on the sky. She would just spend hours zipping around the fields until her stamina depleted and she was forced to ground herself for a while. Though this increase in stamina did not come with a significant power increase. Her powers, while they had a little bit more of a punch to them, did not get any significant strength increase. Which Kara figured was a good thing. She was already something of a loose cannon just being a daughter of Zeus. 

Sometimes in the evenings, she would just watch the setting sun. She recalled the few days that she had done that with Lena and Kara always found herself close to tears. Aphrodite had given her hope that Lena could still be saved, but she still wondered. Was she up for the task? Lena seemed so far detached from everything they had once shared that it seemed like a daunting task to try to make her remember. But Kara was not a quitter. She promised Lena that she’d fight for her and that was exactly what she was going to do, even if that means fighting against Lena. 

Kara also found herself helping Winn where she could. She was asking him for a big favor, it was the least she could do. The son of Hephaestus mostly had her running around and getting supplies for him. And stood in for fittings without complaining. Kara had to admit, Winn was extremely talented and had an eye not only for reliability and practicality but also for aesthetics. He had designed her suit with an arrow resistant bodysuit, black in color and paired it with the blade resistant plating, red and blue in color. And at Kara’s request had added her family’s crest to one of the shoulder plates. Kara had been rather insistent about it. It made her feel like her family was right there with her, if not physically, but in spirit. And not just the family she had lost, but all those that she had gained over the years. The Danvers, Alex especially, James, Winn, Mon-El, Maggie. And Lena. The demititan might have lost her way, but didn’t everyone at some point in their life? That’s what family was for. To be there when times were tough. 

III. 

A week passed before the Hermes scouts returned to Demos. At which point, Kara and everyone else was summoned to J’onn’s office to discuss the intel they had gathered. Kara had told all of them of her meeting with the Gods steadily over the week, starting with Winn, then Alex and Maggie, then Mon-El and James. They had all been somewhat concerned but trusted that Kara could handle it and all of them knew they would follow Kara wherever their journey took them. 

“You all know why you’re here,” J’onn said grimly. Kara nodded hesitantly. She was very wary of what possible information that could have been gathered. But she couldn’t skip out this time. She had to see this through to the end. 

“Is it that bad?” Mon-El asked, noting a look on J’onn’s face. The man nodded. 

“This is probably going to be difficult for all of you to hear, but you all need to know what we’re up against.” He replied. Kara felt her stomach clench, but she swallowed and nodded. J’onn opened a folder on his desk. Recounting what their scouts had found.

IV.

_ “Get up!” Hyperion hissed. Lena groaned, but did has her father asked, getting back up, her body aching from the physical strain that was being put on it. She only had just enough time to raise her swords in defense as he attacked again. They were blurring in and out of a normal human’s visual perception, almost moving too quickly to be seen at all. Lena tried to defend herself against her father’s relentless attacks, but once again had her feet kicked out from underneath her in a show of speed that she couldn’t match, landing on her back again, a sword at her chest. She looked up defiantly at Hyperion, frowning.  _

_ “What good is this doing exactly?” She asked as he stepped back, giving her room to get back to her feet, brushing herself off. “Showing me my place? Because I’m fully aware of where I am and where I belong.” She spat. Hyperion hardened his gaze at her.  _

_ “As I said, I tried to protect you from Kronos’ wishes regarding your feelings. But this is getting out of hand.” He hissed. “Your feelings for the halfbloods are crippling your ability to do what has to be done, Lena.” He insisted. “Twice now you have left them alive when you had perfect opportunities to kill them.” Lena just blinked.  _

_ “I did what I felt was right in the situation.” She responded. Hyperion sighed.  _

_ “And that is precisely the problem, Lena. These people are no longer your friends. They don’t care about you. They would never join you. Join us. They are just as dead set on protecting the gods and their corruption as much as we are set to destroy them. You can’t save them. They’ve chosen their side. And you are going to have to choose yours.” Hyperion said dangerously. Suddenly, the burn mark on her wrist started to glow, a white hot pain coursing through Lena’s body. She managed to not scream out in agony, but fell to one knee, rubbing at the mark, gritting her teeth. She looked up at Hyperion, his eyes glowing brighter than normal. “You made your choice a long time ago Lena. Now act like it.” He said coolly, his eyes fading and the pain going away.  _

_ V. _

Kara was clenching the arms of the chair rather tightly as they listened to J’onn recounted a number of tales that their scouts had gathered. Most regarding the tentative attack plan the Titans had coming. Though it was hard to piece those together since it seemed the Titans didn’t share their full plans with many people if any at all. And the intel about Lena was the worst. “See, she’s not fully in control of the situation. We just have to convince her that we can protect her!” Kara insisted after the latest piece of information about Lena. 

“Kara, just because she’s suffering at their hands doesn’t mean she’ll want to join us,” Alex said, though not without some caution. She and Kara had been working on being more receptive to each other’s ideas and opinions regarding the demititan. “I’m just saying that Hyperion does have a point. She’s trying to help them destroy Olympus. And we can’t let them. Even if she is not fully in control.” Alex warned. Winn and J’onn nodded in agreement, though James, Mon-El, and Maggie were a little more skeptical. 

“Unfortunately Kara, your sister is right. Unless Lena comes to us and convinces us that she’s worth trusting again, we have to be wary of her. She is a threat.” J’onn said. Kara pouted but didn’t argue. She knew that they were right. She just wanted desperately to believe that she could be the one to convince Lena to change course. “We know that they will be launching another attack on the school within a matter of days. We all need to be ready. Kara, are you ready to step up and lead?” He asked their new commander. James put a reassuring hand on his friend’s shoulder. Kara looked around the room, everyone giving her an encouraging nod. She just sighed. 

“I don’t know. But I have to be ready, whether I’m actually ready or not.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm really... not happy with this chapter but it's the best I could get out. I've been fighting some writer's block recently and just tried to power through. I was debating between doing a Lena or a Kara chapter for this period of time, but I went with a Kara chapter. I feel like I want to establish her a bit more/better and all Lena's being doing at this time is erm... getting 'trained' by Hyperion which I don't even know how to write a full chapter for. So I went with a bit of Kara instead. 
> 
> I think next chapter is another head to head fight so it should be a little more interesting. Hopefully. 
> 
> Feel free to come scream at me or with me on Tumblr: aeon-wolf.tumblr.com


	13. Battle

I.

Lena lay on her bed, on her back staring at the ceiling, her body aching from her _ training _ that day. She sighed. Hyperion was trying his hardest to cut her feelings for Kara. But in reality, it only made them stronger. Kara was the one good thing that she had once had in her life. It was what she thought of as she endured her new reality She always held onto the hope that Kara still believed in her, even after everything that had happened between them. 

Over the last couple of weeks, Lena had suffered. There was no doubt about that. She had the scars and bruises, with the occasional burn mark, to prove it. But she had managed to get through it. And they were to assault Demos again the next day. This time, with the intent of capturing the school. She had met with Kronos and his brothers to discuss their plans. The first attack was only to assess their defenses and the strength of the halfbloods. This time, they would be attempting to capture the school. It would be a critical strategic position for their final attack on Olympus. 

She, as the Titan’s ground commander, would be leading their forces once again, as was expected. And her father had warned her that another failure would lead to more intense punishment that Lena was keen to avoid. While Hyperion had been particularly brutal in his attempt to snuff out what was keeping her tethered to her humanity, she knew he had the capability to be numerous times more brutal. And she was not eager to face that. 

Lena knew there was a good chance that she was going to come across Kara again. And in her own thoughts, she had no real clue how she was going to handle it. It would make her life so much easier if she could just kill Kara. But the fact of that matter was that she didn’t know if she could. The last time they had met, she had the perfect opportunity to kill her, but she couldn’t finish the job. 

Lena shook her head to herself, sitting up in her bed. Her muscles screaming in protest from the movements. She was hoping that the pain would dissipate in the morning. It usually did. She was going to have to lead their forces in battle again, as was her duty.

II.

_ “Lena. Take a seat.” Kronos said to his niece. The young Titan commander obliged, sitting down in a chair at the table, surrounded by her other uncles and her father. “As you know, we will be seeking to capture Demos tomorrow. And you will be leading that attack. I’m assuming that won’t be a problem?” He asked dangerously. Lena gritted her teeth but nodded after a sharp look from Hyperion.  _

_ “Of course not my Lord,” Lena said obediently. Kronos nodded slowly.  _

_ “See that it is not. Your loyalty is to us, Lena. Not to them. Not to the daughter of Zeus.” He said calmly. Lena blinked.  _

_ “They will not be a problem again,” Lena promised.  _

_ “Then I hope you are successful in your capture of Demos. It is a critical location for us to capture in our campaign against the Gods and Olympus. It will be our new base of operation and allow us access to Olympus directly. And it will cripple the Gods significantly. They rely on the halfbloods.” Lena nodded in understanding, choosing to not mention that the Titans also relied upon her in the same way. _

III. 

Lena woke the next morning, the pain in her muscles having mostly faded to an occasional dull throb. So she pulled herself out of bed, grabbing her belt from the hook on the wall, putting it around her waist and pressing the seal on the buckle, her armor expanding around her body before she sat on the edge of her bed to pull on her boots. 

She finished putting on her boots, getting up from her bed and grabbing her swords off the wall, sheathing them on her back. She wandered over to her desk, opening the box on it, revealing Kara’s dagger. Lena gingerly picked up the dagger, running her fingers along the flat of the blade. “I’m sorry for what I have to do. Again.” She said to herself before sticking the dagger in her boot. 

She emerged from her room and headed to the mess hall to grab something to eat. She found, as usual, the hall pretty much empty as she grabbed a cup of coffee and a power bar. The commander sat down at a table, unwrapping the bar and taking a bite. “Ready for today?” A rather familiar voice said. Lena rolled her eyes. 

“This seems to be becoming a habit, Roulette,” Lena remarked. The other woman just shrugged. 

“What can I say? You’re good company Luthor.” She teased. Lena fought to roll her eyes but chuckled instead. 

“Do you say that to all the girls you’ve slept with?” Lena teased back. Roulette laughed. 

“You’re one of a kind, Luthor.” 

“I suppose I should feel flattered,” Lena replied. 

“You should. It’s not every day that I stick with someone even after they’ve rejected me.” Roulette said with some amusement. 

“It’s not like anyone is forcing you to stick around,” Lena said, sipping her coffee. 

“Yeah, but who would keep you on your toes if you didn’t have me? And who would save your ass if you got into a sticky situation?” Lena just scoffed at the implication. 

“As if. The day I need you to save me will be the day that pigs fly.” Lena joked. Roulette just shrugged. 

“Don’t speak too soon Luthor. Stranger things have happened.” Roulette replied. Lena nodded slowly. 

“I suppose you’re right.” Lena took a bite of her bar. “So, ready for today?” Roulette nodded. 

“I’m more than ready Luthor. It’ll be nice to get out there and stretch my legs a little bit.” Lena nodded in understanding. 

“It will be a good opportunity to do that, that’s for sure,” Lena said absentmindedly, taking a final drink from her cup.

IV.

Lena charged head first into the volley of arrows flying at her, her troops following her leadership. She again burst through the gate, dodging arrows and the others clinking harmlessly off her armor. She barged, shoulder first, into the door, breaking it open and stepping into the all familiar entrance hall once again. 

This time, her eyes locked right onto the figure standing in front of her as her army of monsters and halfbloods poured into the hall, quickly swarming in different directions. But everything else seemed to have faded away as she stared straight ahead. She gripped her swords tighter, walking forward confidently. “Long time no see.” She smirked. Kara narrowed her eyes at Lena, gripping her own sword tighter, shrugging slightly. 

“You don’t have to do this Lena.” Kara tried. Lena just chuckled darkly. 

“I don’t think you understand what I have to and don’t have to do Kara. This is something that I  _ have _ to do.” She snarled slightly. The two began circling each other slowly. Lena appraised Kara quickly, noting that she had donned a set of armor, not entirely dissimilar from her own, except with a black bodysuit and red and blue plates. Lena’s eyes were drawn to Kara’s family crest on the shoulder pad. 

“El Mayarah,” Lena mumbled to herself. “New armor?” She questioned. Kara just nodded. “Winn’s work I’m assuming,” Lena said as she swung at Kara, the blonde easily deflecting the blow. 

“Who else do you think I would trust to make it?” Kara replied. Lena just shrugged, turning her focus back to the fight at hand. She narrowed her eyes, appraising Kara, watching for an opening. She tried to ignore the tugging feeling at her gut, telling her to just stop. Instead, she stepped forward, swinging to the right towards Kara. The blonde easily dodged out of the way, then blocked Lena’s follow up attack from the left. 

“Impressive work. Though it does look a little… familiar.” Lena teased. Kara rolled her eyes. 

“What can I say? Your armor is impressive.” Kara replied lunging towards Lena. The demititan sidestepped the attack, retreating a little bit, putting some more distance between the two. Lena just shrugged. 

“Telekhines are talented smiths,” Lena said before zipping towards Kara at a little over human speed, managing to catch Kara’s side. However, her sword bounced off the plate with minimal damage. Lena saw Kara wince slightly at the impact, but she would probably only be bruised later. Lena nodded approvingly. “Can’t say I ever thought I’d see you in a suit of armor though Kara.” She remarked. Kara just shrugged.

“Things change. Don’t they?” Kara said coolly. Lena blinked at the dig. It was rather unexpected and somewhat foreign coming from Kara. But Lena figured she deserved it at this point. 

“They certainly do.” She retorted. The two continued circling each other, the fighting around them all but forgotten. They occasionally tested the other, swinging and launching an attack only to be repelled. More than once Lena had let the reins off of her Titan enhanced speed, blurring towards Kara only to have been countered and knocked back. Lena tilted her head to the side. 

“You’ve gotten stronger. Faster.” She said frowned. “How?” She asked. Lena knew that Kara was strong for a halfblood, but this was a new level. But Kara refused to reply. Instead, she tried to reason with Lena. 

“That doesn’t matter.” Kara brushed off. “But this has to stop Lena. This can’t continue.” Kara tried. “You can stop.” 

Lena scoffed, lunging at Kara again. The blonde stepped back, blocking the attack but not countering as she had been. “This isn’t you. I know you, Lena. Just surrender. The bloodshed, it can all end here if you give up. We can… I can protect you from the Titans if you’ll only give up.” Kara pled. Lena chuckled darkly.  

“It’s not the Titans I need protection from Kara.” Lena spat, pressing the attack towards a defensive Kara. “The Gods will  _ kill _ me if they get their hands on me. What part of that don’t you understand? They will get rid of me just for who I am.” Lena hissed, angrily striking at Kara, a little too quickly for Kara to block, the blade striking Kara’s shoulder plate, the clash of metal echoing throughout the hall. Kara winced in pain. “They’ve already made up their minds regarding me, decided my fate regardless of what I do, so why should any of us pretend otherwise?” Lena said angrily. 

“There’s always a choice Lena,” Kara said, backing away from Lena slowly, making a split second decision and dropping her sword to the ground with a loud crash. “If you’re truly lost, then you shouldn’t hesitate to kill me,” Kara said with some confidence. Lena’s frown slid from her face to a more neutral look, lowering her swords slowly. “I’m the chosen of the Gods, you’re the chosen of the Titans. If you’re really not the person I know, if you’re the person you say you are, you’ll kill me right now.” Kara challenged. Lena gripped her swords tightly, gritting her teeth as she walked towards Kara. 

They stood less than a foot apart when Lena finally stopped advancing. She sheathed her swords on her back, pulling the dagger Kara gave her from her boot. Kara’s eyes flicked down, her gaze widening in recognition. “You kept it? All this time?” Kara asked, looking back at Lena. The demititan nodded slowly before blurring towards Kara, again holding the dagger to her neck. 

“I did. It’s one of the only things I have that reminds me of what my life used to be like. But no matter what happens Kara, we can’t go back to the past. You and I both know that.” Lena said calmly. Kara gulped, a look of fear passing through her face. But after a minute, Lena sighed, lowering the dagger and stepping away from Kara. “You’re right, of course. I’m too weak to kill you.” Lena said bitterly. Kara gaze softened as she stepped carefully towards Lena. 

“You’re not weak Lena. But there’s still good in you. You don’t have to be afraid anymore.” Kara tried, reaching out to touch Lena. Lena opened her mouth to reply but instead felt a white hot pain in her side. She managed to not yell out, she had endured worse pain in her life. But she still fell to her knees, her hand grasping at her side. She looked up to see a rather smug looking Alex twirling a dagger between her fingers. 

“Impressive huh? Never thought the Hephaestus kids would actually come up with a weapon to pierce that armor of yours, but here you are.” Alex said. “That was for threatening my sister. And breaking her heart.” She hissed. Lena grimaced, her blood flowing freely from the stab wound that had successfully been plunged into her skin through a chink in her plates and through her bodysuit 

“Alex!” Kara said angrily, pulling her sister sharply away from the now injured demititan. “What are you doing?” She scolded. 

“I’m doing what needs to be done, Kara. I’m protecting you. I’m protecting Olympus. Everything! The Titans will destroy us. And the world. And if killing her will prevent that, someone needs to separate their feelings from what has to be done. And you obviously can’t.” She lectured. But Kara just shoved her sister. 

“She wasn’t trying to hurt me. You just don’t get it, do you?” Kara argued. Lena, meanwhile, was still in a lot of lingering pain. She had no idea what they had done to that dagger but it was specifically designed to counter her. Maybe even kill her if Alex had her way. But Lena managed to look up at Kara, her vision a little blurred and hearing dulled slightly, protecting her from Alex. The blonde looked like she wanted to punch her sister in the face. 

Suddenly, Lena felt herself grabbed from behind, her arm thrown around someone’s shoulders, helping her to her feet, despite the pain. Lena tightly gripping her side with one hand, the shoulder of the other person with the other. Lena looked to the side to see Roulette supporting her while the Danvers’ sisters were distracted, fighting between themselves. “We need to get you out of here.” She whispered. “We can fight another day.” She said to her friend. 

“Put her down Veronica,” Alex said, finally noticing that someone had helped the Titan commander to her feet. “She needs to face justice.” Roulette just laughed. 

“Your kind of justice, Danvers, isn’t really justice if the verdict is already decided.  _ You _ may have thrown her to the side, but she’s still  _ my _ friend. And I’m not going to let you take her.” Roulette spat. Alex was about the walk towards the pair, but Kara held her sister back. 

“Just get her out of here,” Kara said to Roulette, Alex looking at her sister a little angrily, but couldn’t work herself out of her Kara’s strong grip. Roulette nodded gratefully at Kara, turning to guide a limping Lena out of the school and getting her to cover.

“So, see any pigs with wings yet?” Lena groaned. Roulette was never going to let her live this down. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Writer's block can just go like... die. Anyway, it's still here and kicking. I'm not entirely happy with this chapter either but it is what it is. It complicates Lena and Kara's relationship a little bit further. They both know they still care for each other, but Lena still believes there's nothing she can do about it. (Though she seems willing to take whatever punishment will be coming to her in order to protect Kara). And it also further complicates Alex and Kara's relationship. Though I keep driving wedges in between them that isn't entirely intentional. Though I think it'll leave a lot of room for Alex and Kara moments in the third part. As far as I know right now, the third part will be mostly dedicated to repairing and growing relationships between people. 
> 
> Anyway yeah, not a huge fan of the writing of the chapter, but the plot is nice. I think. I'll leave that up to you guys to judge. 
> 
> Feel free to come scream at me or with me on Tumblr: aeon-wolf.tumblr.com


	14. Injured

I.

Lena, with Roulette’s help, limped into the Titan’s base, the demititan still clutching her wounded side. The blood flow had slowed but still dripped out of the open wound. Lena clenched her teeth in pain. Whatever Alex had done to that dagger had been rather impressive Lena had to begrudgingly admit. 

“We need to get you to the infirmary.” Roulette said, starting to guide Lena in that direction. But she protested. 

“No, just take me to my room. I can patch myself up.” Lena said. Roulette stopped and gave her friend a disapproving look. 

“You really should get that checked out. We don’t know what Danvers did to it. It would be cursed or poisoned or something.” Roulette tried to reason with her commander. But Lena shook her head. 

“I’d know if she did. It was just a strong enough metal to pierce my bodysuit. I just need to patch up the stab wound and I’ll be fine.” She insisted. Roulette rolled her eyes. 

“You say as you’re relying on me to even stand up straight Lena. Seriously, you need to get it looked at.” She argued. Both women stared off at each other, both with strong personalities and a stubborn streak to match. Before long, Lena was the one who caved. After all, she was relying on Roulette to help her walk and deep down, Lena knew her friend was right. It was unlikely that Alex did anything to the dagger, but it was better to be safe than sorry. And her father was eventually going to hear about what happened. She might as well face the music sooner rather than later. 

“Fine.” Lena finally relented. Roulette had a glint of triumph in her eye before steering Lena towards the infirmary. 

“So, still really can’t stick a dagger in Kara, can you?” Roulette asked innocently. Lena grimaced. 

“No. And I’m going to pay the price for it too.” She said, almost bitterly. 

“I have to admit, I think Kara cares about you just as much as you care about her though.” Roulette mused. “She held back her sister just to let us go.” Roulette pointed out. Lena chuckled. 

“Kara and I have a complicated relationship. And it’s probably always going to be that way. I told you once that I never wanted Kara to join us. She’s too good for that. But you know as well as I do that I could never join them. The Gods will kill me, or worse, as soon as they get their hands on me. So no matter what, we’re at an impasse.” Lena said. Roulette nodded. 

“Tough luck Luthor. I can’t say I envy you.” Roulette commented. Lena just sighed. The two reached the infirmary, Roulette opening the door with her free hand and leading Lena over to one of the beds. 

“Connor, we need assistance over here.” She called out to one of the children of Apollo that had switched sides. The halfblood came over with a first aid kit in his hands. 

“What happened?” He asked, looking Lena over. 

“Got stabbed,” Lena grunted, moving her hand from the stab wound to show the blood that covered her gauntlet and was still slowly dripping from the wound. Connor nodded. 

“Can I get you to take the armor off? So I can get a closer look.” Lena nodded.

“Someone is going to have to help me out of my boots first though.” She said. Roulette nodded, bending down to unstrap Lena’s boots and pulling them off. Then, Lena took her hand and pressed it against the sun mark on her belt, her armor retracting until she was left in a bra and shorts that she wore under the bodysuit. 

“Can you move your arm, lift it up a bit?” He asked, hoping to get a better look at Lena’s injury. The demititan tried to lift her arm, but she couldn’t move it much. Luckily, it was enough that Connor could get a decent look at her. He appraised the area for a few minutes, gently touching the spot, careful not to irritate the injury.

“It doesn’t look infected or poisoned. It is rather deep though. I’m probably going to have to tie it up and put a bandage over it. With your Titan blood, it should heal faster than Roulette or I could, but you're still probably going to be out for a week or two. To be honest, with a stab wound this deep, it probably could have killed anyone else. But your superior healing allowed the wound to heal fast enough so that you didn’t die from blood loss.” He said bluntly. Lena nodded curtly.  

“Do whatever you have to.” She said, Connor, nodded, opening the first aid kit and grabbing a needle and thread. 

“It a little… human, I suppose but it's the best we have.” Connor explained as Lena eyed the needle. She just shrugged. 

“It’s to be expected.” She said, her jaw clenched as Connor poked the needle through her skin, beginning to sew her wound shut. 

“So it’ll be a couple of weeks before she’s ready to go again?” Roulette asked. Connor glanced over at her. 

“Most likely. I can’t really predict exactly because she heals differently than most. I guess it’s theoretically possible for her to be ready to pick up a sword tomorrow, but it’s unlikely. My best guess is a couple of weeks.” He said. Roulette nodded. 

“Hear that? Gotta relax for a couple of weeks. Think you can do that?” She teased. Lena just rolled her eyes. 

“I probably could, but will my father let me is the real question. He’s never cared about my injuries before. And I’ve had my fair share of pretty nasty ones. Though this is probably the first stab wound like this I’ve had before.” Lena said she said wincing as Connor tied off the wound, cutting the excess. He grabbed a large wrap bandage. 

“Can you lift your arms as much as you can for me?” He asked and Lena complied. He began wrapping the bandage around her stomach and abs area, covering up the wound. “There. Just change the bandage regularly, I’m sure you know how to take care of injuries like that. Come back and see me if there are any problems.” He said. Lena nodded. 

“Sure thing Doc.” She said as another body joined them in the infirmary. 

“Lena, the counsel wishes to see you.” The new halfblood said. Lena flinched slightly but nodded. 

“I’ll head there immediately.” She said, her emotions shielded from view. 

“Lena… are you sure…” Roulette started before Lena cut her off. 

“I don’t have a choice. Are you going to help me or not?” She asked, pressing her hand against her belt again, her armor covering her body again. The demititan grimaced a bit as it covered her wound, but the bandage protected it from opening up again. Roulette sighed but nodded, bending down to help Lena into her boots again. 

“Just you know… be careful?” She said. “I need someone who can beat me in a fight and you’re the only one that can fit that description.” She said absentmindedly. Lena chuckled but nodded as Roulette helped her up. 

“We can’t have you steamrolling over all the other halfbloods all the time after all. Bad for morale.” Lena joked as the two headed towards the council chamber.

II.

The two monsters guarding the door stood at attention as Lena, supported by Roulette, approached. They opened the doors for her as she limped into the room to be met by the full council. She noted Hyperion and Kronos’ disapproval almost immediately as they zeroed in on her being supported by someone else. “Roulette, you’re dismissed. This is a private matter.” Hyperion said coldly. She hesitated, not wanting to essentially drop Lena, but the commander waved her friend off. 

Roulette gently let go of Lena who flinched in pain as she was forced to support her full weight but managed to stand, though favoring her uninjured side. Roulette gave Lena a wary look before leaving her friend. Lena managed to limp over to the table and stand before Kronos and the others. 

“I don’t think I need to tell you of my disappointment with the state you’ve returned to us in Lena,” Kronos said dangerously. Lena wanted to shy away from the cruel tone of voice but knew she couldn’t show weakness. She, instead, shook her head slowly. 

“Of course not my Lord.” She said, not making eye contact with him, instead, her gaze cast downward. 

“We sent you out to destroy the halfbloods and capture the school and instead you return, wounded and without anything to show for it.” He said coolly. “Care to explain?” He asked. “And chose your story very carefully Lena.” 

“I... “ Lena started. She knew bringing Kara into the conversation would be disastrous for the both of them, though she also knew lying about it would be a bad choice for her. She was not stupid enough to believe that the Titans wouldn’t know if she lied. But on the other hand, it’s not like they could kill her. And against her better judgment, she decided to do what she thought was necessary. “I was confronted by a strong halfblood. One that could almost match my powers, though skill is questionable. But he managed to take me by surprise.” Lena fibbed. Not a total lie exactly, but far from the actual truth. 

Kronos looked Lena over once. Then twice. A glimmer of malice flashed through his eyes. “See to it that this does not happen again, Lena. I’ve been extremely patient and lenient with you over the last few weeks. I do not tolerate failure. You know this. If you disappoint me again, we may have to… revisit your place with us. And I assure you, you will not enjoy any of your alternatives.” He said coolly, though not without a threatening tone to his voice. Lena gulped but nodded. 

“Of course. I understand. I won’t let you down again sir.” She said, her heart beating rapidly. She glanced at her father whose flaming eyes appraised her, an obvious disappointed look in his eyes. 

“This has set our plans back, but I suppose has further weakened Demos to be certain to fall on our next assault. I will give you one last chance to prove yourself, Lena.” Kronos said to his niece. “If we find out that you cannot do what has to be done, you will wish you had never thought of crossing us.” He said dangerously. Lena nodded quickly, wincing slightly in pain. “Take care of your injury and you will report back to active leadership the minute you are able to pick up your sword without dropping it.” He said. “You’re dismissed.” 

Lena nodded, pushing herself out of her seat, though not without difficulty and a whole lot of pain. She winced with every step but managed to walk out of the council room and down the hallway to her bedroom. 

III.

Lena collapsed onto her bed, her side crying out in pain from overexerting herself. But she needed to get her armor off, so she did her best to unstrap her boots, bringing her leg up on a side table next to her bed and slipping it off after a few minutes. And repeating the process with the other leg before she could finally press her hand against her belt and listen to her armor retracting. 

Finally free of the restrictive suit, she flopped onto her bed, facing the ceiling as her side throbbed in pain. At least Connor had managed to stop the bleeding and bandage it up so she wasn’t at risk for infection. She hoped that she would be able to heal sooner rather than later. And her previous experiences with injuries suggested that she did heal faster than a normal human, even a normal halfblood. Though she had never sustained an injury quite like this one. 

During her training, Hyperion would always be sure to not physically cripple her with his punishment. At least not in a way that would be restrictive. She still had small scars from cuts and burns that she had suffered throughout the years. Apart from the sun mark that she had permanently burned into her wrist, her back was littered with the remnants of her  _ training sessions _ . 

There was a firm knock on her door and Lena groaned to herself, knowing exactly who it was. “Come in.” She said, sitting up in her bed, wincing a bit. As expected, Hyperion opened the door. However what was not expected was him stalking over to her and grabbing her by the shoulder, shoving her against the wall her bed was pushed up against. Her side flared up with pain again, though Lena didn’t cry out. She had been taught better than that. 

“Your feelings for Kara are getting in the way and this needs to end Lena.” He said, fire almost pouring from his eyes. Lena wasn’t scared of very many things, though she would admit that Hyperion was one of the few things that she was. Especially when he was angry.  

“I… I don’t know what you’re talking about.” Lena struggled out, the pain affecting her ability to speak eloquently. 

“Don’t insult me, Lena,” Hyperion said, roughly shoving Lena back into the wall. “We are not stupid. You’ve been weighing your leverage of how much we need you for our plans to succeed for too long. Kronos allowed this one last time but you are testing all of our patience.” He said, implying that they knew exactly what had gone on at Demos. “You cannot keep protecting the chosen of the Gods.” 

“I’m not…” Lena protested but Hyperion cut her off. 

“I know you’re protecting that daughter of Zeus, Kara Danvers. Despite my warnings, you still decide to disobey me and believe me, if you weren’t injured right now, you would be in for many long days of training Lena. But you need to make your choice once and for all. It’s either us or them. Kara Danvers has chosen her side by becoming the champion of the Gods. I had  _ thought _ you had made your choice by being our champion, but your continued defiance is testing that loyalty, Lena. And it needs to stop.” Hyperion said angrily. Lena looked up at her father, fear apparent in her eyes as his fiery eyes met hers. 

“I’m loyal to the Titans. You know I am.” Lena tried. Hyperion gripped Lena’s shoulder tighter.

“Do I Lena? I’m not so sure anymore. We gave you a home. A family that hasn’t lied to you. A place to belong. Somewhere where you don’t have to be afraid of death and all you’ve seemed to do with it is throw it away. For what? Some halfblood who doesn’t even care about what happens to you. All Kara Danvers wants is for us to fail. And if we fail, you know as well as I do that you will go down with us.” Hyperion threatened. Lena tensed slightly, though she knew he was partially right. If the Titans lost, she would be finished. 

“I... “ Lena said, pausing. 

“You have one last chance to prove your loyalty, Lena. I’ve shielded you from my brother as much as I can and if you fail us again, I’ll take care of you myself.” He said, his eyes flaring. Lena shuddered at the thought as Hyperion let go of her, her body slumping down on her bed, her side still in pain from the roughness of her father. He picked his helmet up from the desk he had set it on. “Do not disappoint again Lena.” He warned, leaving her and shutting the door behind him. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So I'm thinking my writer's block is in part because the show is on hiatus actually. Which is kind of annoying, but I'm trying here! 
> 
> Lena centered chapter, the next one will be as well. Probably the healing process. Maybe some more Roulette/Lena friendship building. Probably Hyperion will show up again. Who knows. I don't yet. One thing I do want to make clear though, that I think I've made clear already but will be important later, is that Lena is genuinely afraid of Hyperion. He's much stronger than she is since he's full Titan. At least power wise. She's got more freedom to act than he does. But when it comes to raw strength, he's obviously way higher than she is. She might put up a tough act around him sometimes, but she is legitimately scared of him. You can allow your imagination to roam in regards to what he's actually done to her, but it hasn't been pleasant. 
> 
> Anyway, dunno when I'll update again. I want to say within a week, but also don't want to promise that if it just doesn't happen. 
> 
> Feel free to come scream at me or with me on Tumblr: aeon-wolf.tumblr.com


	15. Recovery

I.

The next few weeks were relatively quiet. With Lena recovering from her injuries, she mostly kept to her room for the first few days. The demititan would get up in the morning, head to the mess hall for some food, then slink back to her room, trying to avoid as many people as possible. She had used most of her time to repair her armor and research into making to stronger, harder to pierce, so that Alex, or anyone else for that matter, couldn’t hurt her like that again. 

Lena probably could have gotten help from their resident blacksmiths, but this was something she felt she had to do herself. It was like an internal motivator for her. She had been caught off guard by Alex. All things being equal, it was completely her own fault for getting stabbed. She had been the one that had been caught off guard. She had allowed that. It almost felt like she was trying to repair it herself so she could prove to everyone, including herself, that she could overcome this setback and be stronger coming out of it. If she learned anything from Hyperion, the term “what doesn’t kill you makes you stronger,” was it. 

Though she didn’t spend all this time alone. Roulette often kept her company when she could. Obviously, the halfblood couldn’t spend all her time with her friend. She was still a soldier in the Titan army and had duties that came along with that. Especially after basically being the one to save Lena. That had earned her rare praise from Krios, and even Hyperion, that she had been elevated to a higher status within their forces. 

But she tried to keep Lena from going crazy as best she could. And while Lena would never admit it to anyone, herself included, she enjoyed Roulette’s presence. “Luthor, are you ever going to stop fiddling with your armor? You got caught off guard, it happens to everyone.” Roulette prodded Lena who was pouring over some books she had that might be able to help her toughen up the body suit itself so it would be hard to tear through. Lena just shrugged. 

“Not until I find a solution. And you’ll notice that most people who do are dead. I got lucky. Alex hadn’t poisoned the dagger or anything. Kara held her back from finishing the job. You were there to help me out. I got a lucky break. And I’m not going to rely on luck.” She said curtly. Roulette sighed. 

“You’re right. I just wish you would stop beating yourself up about what happened.” Roulette said quietly. Lena clenched her fist. 

“She is my weakness, Roulette. You understand that don’t you? If I can’t come away from this battle, stripping myself of  _ her _ , then I’m as good as dead anyway.” She said, frustrated. Roulette got up from Lena’s bed and walked over to her friend, putting a hand on her tensed shoulder. 

“I’m asking you this as a friend, Lena. If you’re so scared for your life when you’re here, why do you stay?” Roulette questioned. Lena glanced up at her. “I’m just saying, you say your reason for being here is because of what the Gods will do to you, but you’re just as equally if not more so scared of what the Titans will do to you, why don’t you at least try to be happy with her?” Lena frowned. 

“Are you telling me to betray everything I’ve had for the last two and a half years?” She questioned softly. Roulette shook her head. 

“I’m not telling you to do anything. You know me better than that, Luthor. I would never dream of telling you what to do. I’m just saying, you’ve always been tense. Guarded. And let’s be honest, you’ve never been happy here. From what you’ve told me, you were truly happy with Kara. Don’t you deserve that? Even if you don’t know what will happen in the future. You’re not happy here. Or now. Your father… he’s not the nicest of beings. We all know that. Don’t even try to deny it.” 

“I wasn’t going to,” Lena said, acknowledging that statement to be true. “But I’ve lived my life out of self-preservation. I might not be happy, but at least I’m alive.” Lena shrugged, sitting back in her chair. 

“And what’s to say you wouldn’t be alive at the hands of the Gods? I agree with you as much as the next person that they’re not the benevolent beings everyone tries to make them out to be. If I believed that, I wouldn’t be here. But you don’t have the power of prophecy, Lena. You don’t know what’s going to happen. You’re not necessarily better off here than there. Or even somewhere else.” Roulette said. 

“And what about you?” Lena asked. “You’re here for your own reasons. I’ve never pried because it’s none of my business. But even if I were to entertain this line of thought of yours, how does this benefit you in any way?” Roulette shrugged in response. 

“I know you’ve been jaded by what life has handed to you Lena, but not everyone has an ulterior motive. I’m your friend. And regardless of what you think, I want what’s best for you, even if it’s not here. And you should know that my loyalty is to you.” Lena blinked. 

“I… thank you Roulette, but I don’t know what to tell you,” Lena said. 

“You don’t have to tell me anything, just think about it. Don’t you deserve some happiness in your life?” She said. “I have some new blood to work with, I’ll check back with you later.” She said, squeezing Lena’s shoulder and leaving her friend’s room. 

II.

After a few days, Lena started venturing out of her room more frequently. Instead of heading back to her room after grabbing some breakfast, she’d head to the training grounds and oversee some of the newer halfbloods in their training. Roulette had informally taken her place to train them and from what Lena saw, she was doing a good job. “Get up! Your opponent won’t hesitate to stick a blade in your neck, just because you’re winded!” Roulette yelled at a downed halfblood Lena didn’t recognize. 

The demititan leaned against a wall to the side of the area, just observing her friend beating the halfbloods into the ground. She chuckled a little bit at how into the training session Roulette was. For a daughter of Hermes, Roulette was certainly a bloodthirsty one at times. It was a wonder she didn’t have some Ares in her.  Lena watched as some the halfbloods sparred with each other, noting some leaving their sides open or vulnerable to attack. Lena shook her head. It was a wonder some of these halfbloods were still alive all things considered. But she had been pretty lucky herself. 

Roulette glanced over at her, Lena waved in acknowledgment as Roulette also did. She gave the halfbloods some orders to continue sparring before she jogged over to Lena. “Look who decided to leave her room.” Lena rolled her eyes. 

“I suppose I’ve got to take my place as commander back at some point.” She prodded. “I can’t let you have all the fun bossing them around.” Roulette chuckled. 

“You know, I could get used to this. Maybe I’ll let Danvers finish the job next time.” Roulette joked. Lena shoved her friend with her shoulder playfully, her side not flaring up in pain, thankfully. Her titan constitution had allowed her, after only a few days, to be mostly healed, though it would be another week or so before she was fully battle ready again. 

“But who would be there to kick you ass? You know none of the fresh blood could give you a challenge. And I know you love a challenge.” Lena snarked back. Roulette chuckled. 

“Very true. Maybe I’ll just have to keep you around.” She said, turning her attention back to the sparring halfbloods. “Do you think they’ll live through this war?” She asked, almost absentmindedly. Lena shrugged in response. 

“Will any of us?” She questioned in confidence. Roulette glanced at Lena who wasn’t looking at her, but the daughter of Hermes nodded in acknowledgment and didn’t press the subject further. 

“So you’re going to be back in action soon?” Roulette asked, changing the subject. Lena nodded. 

“My father is most certainly awaiting my return. And knowing him and his low level of patience, he will have a million and one things for me to do. It would be better for everyone if I get things sorted out sooner rather than later.” Lena said. “I admit, I’m also getting a little restless.” She confided in her closest friend. Roulette nodded. 

“I don’t blame you. I would be too. But you’re sure you’re healed enough to…” She started but Lena cut her off. 

“Yes. My titan blood saved my life and helped the healing process immensely.” She said. “Don’t worry. I’ll be okay.” She said, noting the concerned look on Roulette’s face. She nodded curtly. 

“If you’re sure. But no one would blame you if you needed more time…” She trailed off. But Lena shook her head. 

“None of you might maybe, but trust me, my father and uncles would blame me. Ten fold.” She said with a cold chuckle. Roulette put a hand on Lena’s shoulder. 

“Well, you know you’ve always got me to back you up, no matter what.” She said reassuringly before heading back over to the sparring halfbloods, leaving Lena to observe for the rest of the morning.

III. 

Lena was eating her dinner in the mess hall when someone sat down at the same table. She looked up from her food to see her father sitting across from her. “Can I help you?” She asked. Hyperion’s gaze hardened a little.

“You would do well to remember your place, Lena.” He said coolly. Lena bit back a retort, just bowing her head respectfully, though more out of fear rather than reverence. She knew her father was still a little, though that would probably be considered an understatement, sore at her. 

“To what do I owe your presence?” She asked. Hyperion nodded slightly in approval at her tone. 

“The halfbloods said you attended a training session today?” He inquired. Lena just nodded, waiting for him to continue. “Am I to take this as you are ready to lead our forces again after your… injury.” He spat out the word injury like it was a dirty word dripping off his tongue. Lena really wanted to yell at him. That she wasn’t a full titan. She was half a human. She was prone to injury where he wasn’t. To try to make him understand that she wasn’t him and never would be. But again she refrained. 

“One of the Apollo healers has said I should be okay to return to duty, however, I shouldn’t strain myself just yet. Training and sparring with the troops should be okay, but I’m not going to be ready to really fight again for another week or so.” She reported. Hyperion sat back in the chair, appraising her. Almost like he was picking her mind for any lies she might be telling, though she had no idea if he had that divine power. The Titans always seemed to have a way of knowing things, especially people’s inner thoughts, and feelings, though Lena got the feeling she was a little bit more of a gray spot for them. Probably because she shared Titan blood with them. 

“I see. I expect you to return to active duty then. You are extremely lucky you’re still an asset to us Lena. Don’t take it for granted.” He said before standing and walking off, his cape swishing behind him. Lena stared at his retreating form for a second before sighing. All things being equal, he was right. She was lucky. She was lucky she was still alive. She was lucky she had a position of power she did. She was lucky that she was an asset. Because if she wasn’t, an injury like this would have crippled her to a point where she doubted the Titans would have kept her. Maybe even have killed her off. Cut the sick branches from the tree to allow more energy for the strong ones to thrive. Lena shuddered. 

Her life was far from perfect. The last few days had been clear evidence of that. But despite that, she still felt the desire to remain where she was. At least for the time being. Roulette had a point. Didn’t she deserve a happiness she knew she would never find with the Titans? But could siding with Kara and fighting for a cause she would never truly believe in be any better? At least here she knew the Titans were using her. She knew that she was just a tool. But she was a tool that was allowed stature, power, and prestige. And she’d be living in fear of her life wherever she went. The Gods. The Titans. Even out on her own. She’d always be worrying about living till the end. 

Lena picked at the food in front of her, suddenly not very hungry. She wrinkled her nose in slight disgust at the thoughts running through her head, scooting back in her chair, getting up and throwing the remains of her food away before heading to the exit of the bunker they were all locked down in. She reached it without any interaction from anyone, monsters or humans. She pressed her hand against a seal, the seal glowing a gold color and the door opening. 

Lena stepped through the doorway out into the night. The city around her was sparkling. Lena took a deep breath of the fresh air. She hadn’t been out of the bunker in days. She made sure to remain within the grasp of the Mist. She had no idea what normal humans saw when they looked at the entrance. Most likely just an empty alley between two buildings, but dark and foreboding that made most steer clear. And those that didn’t probably were discouraged by the Mist in  _ other _ ways.

Lena stared up at the night sky like she had done for most of her life when she was overly stressed or just wanted some peace. If she was still following the Gods, she might have been compelled to pray for guidance, but she was on her own for now.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi. I’m back from like the dead. For now. I’ve got no excuses for why this took over a month. Honestly, I’ve just been lazy and my motivation/muse has just been difficult. Which isn’t really much of an excuse. But I’m trying. This part of the story probably only has like 2-3 more chapters left before the 3rd part. Which I haven’t figured out yet.
> 
> However, I want to finish this one before I figure that one out unless I’m struck with some random wave of inspiration. Which has been known to happen. But really it's been my girlfriend nagging me to get this done (in a good way, I’m not complaining). Also, I figured after the #SDCC2k17 drama that you guys could use something (which I’m not going to talk about here. If you want to talk/vent/etc about it, inbox or message me on Tumblr).
> 
> Plans for finishing this in terms of timeline isn’t entirely solid, but I do kind of want to finish this before I start fall semester. So this time next month, Betrayal should be finished. I’m hoping that it’ll leave everything in a nice place to start the next (and final) part of this story, which will focus a lot more on Kara & Lena’s relationship than this one. A lot of this was Lena’s personal journey to finding herself. And I won’t say much beyond that because… spoilers.
> 
> Also, apologies for any spelling, grammar, and inconsistencies with my writing. I didn't do that much checking over this chapter. Hopefully, it's at least understandable. 
> 
> Feel free to come scream at me or with me on Tumblr: aeon-wolf.tumblr.com


	16. Feelings

I.

Kara sat next to James in J’onn’s office for yet another meeting. “You know as well as I do that we cannot repel a third attack,” Alex argued. J’onn interrupted her. 

“I know Alex. We all do.” He said, the rest of the room, including Kara, nodded in agreement. Things had been icy between Alex and Kara ever since their last fight. The progress that had been made in regards to Lena having been further setback than it ever had been. “Our goal is to hamper the Titans as much as possible as we know their final goal is Olympus. The school is just a stepping stone to getting what they want.” J’onn said. 

“Do we have a plan on how to do that?” Winn asked. “I mean, the Titans have way more manpower than we do. Especially now.” 

“We know that Lena is their ground commander. We have not seen a Titan on the battlefield, as is expected in this case. They are saving their strength for the final battle against the Gods themselves.” J’onn said. 

“So our plan is to take Lena out?” Maggie questioned carefully, side eyeing Kara. 

“That would be my counsel, yes,” J’onn replied. Kara was about to protest, but James nudged her gently. 

“How do we know that ‘taking care of her’ would stop the Titans?” James asked, Kara nodding furiously in agreement. Kara was still Lena’s biggest ally, but she was steadily losing the support of everyone else. Even Mon-El and Maggie, who were cautiously hopeful in the beginning, had begun to side against her. Seemingly only Kara and James were still pulling for her. Kara because of her feelings for Lena. And James because he believed that the girl they all knew was still in there. She spared his life after all. He had to believe there was still good in her. 

“We don’t. But we’re running out of options. None of us have the strength to directly oppose the Titans. Even you Kara. I doubt even Lena has the power to do that. But getting Lena out of the picture would slow the Titans down, allowing us more time to come up with a plan.” J’onn said. “I know you two don’t like this, but Lena has chosen her side. We can’t ignore that anymore.” 

“But Lena isn’t evil!” Kara insisted. “She’s different. She’s just afraid. I mean, look at it from her point of view.” Kara argued. “She’s doing this because she feels she has no choice! If she believed the Gods would treat her fairly, she wouldn’t have felt driven towards the Titans. She wouldn’t have turned. She couldn’t kill me. Couldn’t kill James. She hasn’t even actually killed anyone on our side!” Kara tried. James nodded in agreement. 

“Kara…” Alex tried, but Kara gave her a very critical and cold look which stopped Alex in her tracks. But J’onn stepped in. 

“Kara, this has got to end. You are the champion of the Gods. Chosen of Olympus. Your duty is the protect it. Lena poses a great and real threat. It is your duty to stop her, through whatever means necessary. You have to stop protecting her and do what you have to. She was friends with all of you, but she is a threat. And you will treat her as such.” J’onn said, with no room for argument. Kara stayed silent. 

“Kar, he’s right. You know we all wish and pray that Lena comes to her senses, but maybe…” Mon-El paused. “Maybe it’s time to give it up. She’s clearly chosen her side. You’ve given her so many chances Kara.” He implored. He hated to see his friend, almost like his sister, hung up over what seemed like a hopeless case. He knew that Kara loved Lena, but it hurt him to see her so miserable. Her relationship with Alex was suffering over the two fighting over Lena all the time. She seemed downright depressed most days she wasn’t distracting herself with training and honing her powers and strengthening herself. 

Kara sighed. She stood up, her attention on J’onn. “May I be excused?” She asked. He nodded as she turned and walked away from the meeting. Alex watched her sister walk out, concerned with her well being. She and Kara had been fighting ever since Alex had tried to take things into her own hands. She had her own grievances with Lena, mostly in causing her sister unnecessary pain, but she had truly been doing what she thought was right. 

However, it had been Maggie that had implored her to try and see it from Kara’s side. If it had been Maggie that had turned, the daughter of Nike was confident that Alex would do whatever it took to save her. And Alex conceded to that point. Unfortunately for everyone, it was looking more and more like Lena would have to be dealt with in a more permanent sort of way. No one really wanted that. Even Alex. But J’onn was right. The fate of Olympus hung in the balance and everyone had to make some sacrifices somewhere. It just looked to be shaping up like Kara would be making one of the biggest. 

After the meeting ended, James volunteered to go find Kara. Normally Alex would take the job, but since her relationship with Kara had been rocky for a while, she was just waiting for Kara to come to her. She had tried to approach Kara a couple of weeks prior, but Kara just wasn’t receptive so Alex decided to let Kara approach her on her own time. James found Kara out in one of the clearings, practicing with her powers. 

Over the last few weeks, Kara had more time to really absorb the powers that the Gods had given her. James stood at a distance, watching Kara sprint from one side of the clearing to the other, almost faster than he could follow with his eyes. Her powers of air manipulation had grown even more powerful as well. She found herself being able to create wind gusts and air currents through sheer will and she had been able to fly for much longer amounts of time than she had used to. James slowly approached her. “Kara.” He called out. 

She slowed, turning to face him, her eyes slightly red, clearly she had been crying. James’ heart sank. He held his arms open and she approached him, hugging him tightly, though careful not to hurt him. “Just let it out.” He said as she sniffled, trying not to cry in front of her friend. 

“What if I can’t do it, James?” She asked softly without letting go of him. 

“Do what?” He countered. 

“Kill her if it comes to that,” Kara whispered. James loosened his grip, stepping away from Kara slightly, putting his hands on her shoulders. 

“It won’t. You and I both know there’s still good in her. She’s afraid. You can make her not afraid.” He assured her. 

“But the last two times…” Kara trailed off. 

“You just have to keep trying. If you were her, wouldn’t you also be afraid of the Gods? Given who and what she is?” He asked and Kara nodded. “She’s not going to just believe you right off the bat Kara. Even if she believes you and your motives, you have to convince her that you’ll protect her from what she’s really scared of. That you’ll be there for her if the worst happens. That you’ll fight for her.” Kara nodded. 

“I will. You know that.” She said and James nodded. 

“I do, but does she?” Kara was about to reply but stopped. Kara had always said she would stand by Lena, but being on opposite sides of this war made it impossible for her to really prove it. Lena had been burned before and from her point of view, what was keeping Kara from doing the exact same thing? 

“Thanks, James,” Kara said simply. James smiled at her. 

“That’s what friends are for Kara. Don’t forget, Lena spared my life too. I’ll always be rooting for you two. No matter what.” He said. 

III. 

The sound of a sword clattering against the stone floor was heard echoing in the hall as Mon-El’s sword had been wrenched out of his hand by Kara’s disarm. Mon-El groaned. “Am I ever going to be able to get that sword out of your hand Kar?” He complained, bending down to pick it up. Kara chuckled and shrugged. 

“I don’t know. Maybe. Stranger things have happened.” She joked. “You’re going to have to brush up your game if you don’t want to get hit on the head by the butt of Lena’s sword again.” She teased. He just rolled his eyes, though internally he was happy that Kara seemed to be able to joke about Lena once in awhile. It had been a few days since their last meeting. He wouldn’t say she was back to her normal self, but she seemed to be coping better than she had for the last few weeks at least. 

He raised his sword again. “Well, who better to prepare me than you?” He asked as she grinned, meeting his blade with hers. The two stepped back, circling each other. Mon-El brandished his sword in front of him, watching Kara’s movements closely. Kara continued to wait for Mon-El to make the first move. One thing Kara was very good at, whereas Mon-El was not as strong, was patience. She could wait all day for her opponent to make the first move if she wanted. As expected, Mon-El swung his sword first, clashing against Kara’s large broadsword. Kara parried and followed up with an attack of her own. Mon-El managed to step back in time to not get nicked with Kara’s sword. He immediately followed up with a counter, pushing off his back foot, launching himself towards Kara, swinging his sword overhead, only for Kara to move with impressive speed, catching his swing on her own sword, their blades locked briefly before Kara pushed him off and he went reeling back to recover. “Nice try.” Kara chuckled. Mon-El just rolled his eyes. 

The two continued trading blows in a similar manner for a few minutes before Mon-El managed to get the upper hand on Kara. Their blades locked again, though this time he subtly moved his sword towards the bottom half of Kara’s sword. And using all his strength he pushed and twisted his own sword, forcing Kara to lose her grip on her hers, the large broadsword clashing on the floor, a very proud looking Mon-El pointing a sword at Kara. “Ah ha!” He shouted triumphantly. Kara laughed, bowing her head in defeat, going to pick her sword up off the floor. 

She straightened up, offering her hand to Mon-El. Her friend grinned widely, taking it and pulling Kara in for a one arm hug. “Good job today,” Kara congratulated Mon-El. It was not the first time Mon-El had disarmed her, but it was certainly an uncommon occurrence. Especially given how often the two sparred, usually at least 3 or 4 times a week nowadays. He was the closest to her in fighting style, therefore, her go to partner. Sometimes James joined in, but as Maggie preferred knives and daggers, Alex her spear, and Winn relying on his tech inventions, they found combat training elsewhere. Which all things being equal, Kara was thankful for at the moment. 

Mon-El and James were the only ones that didn’t walk on eggshells around her. Her relationship with Alex was… rocky at best at the current time and while Kara didn’t expect any different, Maggie tended to take Alex’s side. And Winn seemed to just be overly cautious around her. She figured he was just afraid of bringing up the wrong topics, the sweetheart he was. 

“Do you want to go back to the Ares dorm and work on strategy?” Mon-El asked. “Or just hang. Up to you.” Kara nodded, sweat from their training session dripping down her forehead. 

“Let me clean up a bit and I’ll be over there in a half hour?” She asked and he nodded. 

“Yeah, I probably need to shower too. Though you know the Ares dorms, a little extra sweat probably would go unnoticed.” Mon-El joked, though there was a lot of truth to what he said. Kara laughed and nodded before the two went their separate ways until later in the afternoon. 

IV.

Kara headed back to the Zeus dorms, opening the door to her room and setting her sword on the rack hanging from the wall. Her room hadn’t changed much over the years except for a framed picture of Lena sitting on her desk from when they were both going to Demos. And a couple of new books on her shelf. A couple of Lena’s favorites. Kara kept them to remind her that her friend was still out there and those times that seemed so long ago weren’t a dream. Kara sighed, grabbing some clean clothes from her drawers and heading out of her room to the showers. Since she was pretty much the only child of Zeus staying at Demos, she had the normally communal bathrooms to herself. She tossed her clean clothes on a chair, stripping out of her sweat drenched ones and stepping into her usual stall. 

She let the warm water run over her body, just standing in the stall for a good five to ten minutes, letting the water relax her and wash her stresses away, at least for that moment. It sometimes felt like she was carrying the world on her shoulders, though she was sure Atlas would have a thing or two to say about that statement. She sometimes just didn’t know what was right and wrong anymore. Lena’s defection had opened her eyes to the ways of the world. Things aren’t as black and white as most would believe. She just had to have fallen in love with someone who might be remembered as one of the biggest traitors in their history. But it’s not like Kara could blame her. 

She might not understand Lena’s position directly, though she understood what it was like to be pushed away because of her parentage. As a child of Zeus, she was often ignored a lot when she was younger. Even Alex was hesitant to be close to her for a long time. It wasn’t until Mon-El had been put at Demos that she finally had a real friend. And although she only saw him as a brother figure, she loved him like one. She knew that Mon-El was one of the reasons she hadn’t become jaded and moody all the time. He accepted her. She could only wish that she could be that person for Lena. And would get the chance to truly convince her that she could be. 

It was all good on paper and in her head. Trying to convince Lena to give them another shot. But trying to look at it from Lena’s point of view, Kara understood. Partially. What reassurances had her father and the rest of the Gods given her that she would be treated fairly? Especially when cases like Prometheus stared her straight in the eye. And while Kara had no idea what the Titans had offered her, there had to be a reason that Lena stuck with them. 

Kara quickly finished cleaning her hair and body of all the sweat and dirt that had built up over the day, then using her air powers to dry herself off. One of the perks of being a child of Zeus. She dressed before stepping back out into the hall and heading for her room. She put her stuff back in their places before flopping on her bed for a few minutes before going to the Ares dorm to meet Mon-El. She stared at the ceiling of her room.  

There was a subtle tug at her gut that there was something big coming her way. And she had learned over time to never doubt her gut instincts. They hadn’t led her astray before. She had no clue what it was warning her about. But with all the craziness going on her in life as of late, she figured that it was inevitable. And she’d have to be prepared to make some tough decisions. Soon. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So I think there's one more chapter left in this part. Maybe two? Depending on how I decide to write the ending. Haven't quite decided yet. But one or two for sure. Settled on a Kara centric chapter this time and it'll go back to Lena for the ending. Which should be.. uhm.. exciting? Dunno if that's the right word. Basically, if you thought I put a plot twist at the end of Ascension, it's even worse here. 
> 
> In regards to the third part, I probably won't start it until September. I'd like to have this one done soon before I start classes again. Then I want to try to get into a routine for that. Then scope out how much free time I have to write. I also just need a break (because I haven't totally taken one this summer...) My inspiration for writing has been pretty shitty since Supergirl went on hiatus a few months ago. And to be honest, after the whole SDCC thing, I just don't/can't see Supercorp in the same way anymore (though I was sort of losing interest in it before that happened. Just assumed when S3 dropped, I'd renew my interest. Not sure anymore). 
> 
> That being said, I still definitely want to finish this series. And I still enjoy the characters, especially Lena. Forever and always will be my favorite character. Perhaps of all time (unless someone better comes along in the future. You never know). It's mainly just how I see them in canon that changed. Not how I chose to write them myself. I suppose. 
> 
> Anyway, hopefully, you guys enjoyed the chapter. And sit tight of the finale. Should be satisfying for most of you. 
> 
> Feel free to come scream at me or with me on Tumblr: aeon-wolf.tumblr.com


	17. Destiny

I.

“Get up.” Hyperion hissed at his daughter. Lena suppressed a groan but did as she was told. “I will not tolerate weakness, Lena.” He said. “Again.” He raised his sword and blurred over to her, the demititan only just fast enough to catch the blow on her swords. Though she lacked the strength to overpower him, she did possess a keen mind and instead of trying to brute force her way through the blow, she managed to put just enough force into a parry that she repelled his attack and leapt back from him a couple of feet. 

She didn’t give him a moment to regain his footing, knowing that any advantage she gave up, she would regret in the near future. She hated relying on her powers in combat because she prided herself on her fighting skills, but against a titan, she needed all the help she could get. So she channeled fire through her swords, her powers of photokinesis rendered mostly useless as her father was resistant to them for the most part. Only her light enhanced speed giving her any help against him, though he too could move as fast as her. She darted towards him, instead of using her dual blades to cleave down, instead she aimed lower, trying to get in some quick strikes, rather than a power attack. It was partially successful, her attack catching Hyperion’s side, her fire imbued swords leaving a scorch mark on his bicep where she had struck him. 

He grimaced slightly, even being a full titan he was susceptible to pain, especially that was caused by another titan, even if Lena’s blood was diluted in comparison to his own. He responded by shaking off the slight burn on his skin and retaliating, leaping towards her, his own sword glowing brightly. Lena braced herself for the blow, catching her father’s sword between her own crossed ones. She winced, the force of the blow causing a jolt of pain running through her arms. 

Hyperion forced his advantage, pressing against Lena’s defense, slowly forcing her to her knees. Lena gritted her teeth, trying to not be forced down, but her father’s strength still outweighed her own. She was eventually pressing her swords against his, on her knees in front of him. Hyperion smirked. Lena grimaced, knowing he had made his point clear. This training session had never been about improving or even testing her skills. It was about showing her his dominance over her. That he was stronger than she was. And if he wanted, he could overtake her.  

“Enough for today. We strike Demos tomorrow. You need to prepare.” Hyperion said as Lena got to her feet. She nodded. 

“As you wish,” Lena said, bowing slightly before sheathing her swords and stalking out of the training room. After she was out of earshot of her father, she sighed. It had been a few weeks since she had returned to active duty within the Titan army and in that time the Titans had pushed her harder than ever before. Not just her father, but Krios and Kronos as well. Koios and Iapetus, thankfully, had not though. 

Lena headed back to her room, intent on changing into her bedclothes and going to sleep for the night. Her father, for some gods awful reason, decided that he wanted her to have quality time with him late at night when most everyone else had gone to bed. More privacy that way she supposed. 

She reached her room quickly, stepping inside and locking the door. She unstrapped her swords from her back, setting them on the weapon rack on the wall. Then Lena sat down on her bed, pressing her hand against the crest on her armor, the crest and her mark on her wrist both slowly gold brightly for a second before fading and her armor began collapsing. Soon enough it was only a belt around her waist which she took off and set on her desk. Lena sighed, sitting back on her bed, running her hand through her hair. 

She knew what tomorrow was going to bring and she couldn’t say she was looking forward to it. Everyone knew that Demos couldn’t repel another attack. They barely defended the school the last time and if Lena hadn’t been injured, they probably would have won the battle. Even with Kara’s enhanced powers, she hadn’t trained as much with them as Lena had. Lena had spent over two years honing her talents. Kara had only a matter of months. 

Lena groaned out loud before deciding to call it a night, slipping under her sheets, snapping her fingers and the ball of light hovering over her bed went out, plunging her room into darkness. Lena tossed and turned to find a comfortable position before settling on her back, staring at the ceiling. With her conflicted thoughts swirling around her head, she drifted off into a fitful sleep.

II.

_ Lena found herself hovering above the council room, the five Titans sitting around the stone table. Lena frowned but stayed quiet as the brothers talked amongst themselves. “She is a danger to us and you know it Hyperion,” Krios said firmly. Hyperion just shot his brother a cold look.  _

_ “I will not abandon my child, Krios. She is stronger than any of us and you know that as well as I do. Could you imagine what kind of damage she could do if she was on her own? Or on the side of the Gods? No, it is important for her to stay here with us. Regardless of your concerns.” Hyperion argued. As was usual in council meetings. Hyperion and Krios, with some input from Kronos, were the most vocal. Iapetus and Koios mostly stayed silent unless they were asked for their opinion.  _

_ “And you think abusing her is the best way to keep her loyal?” Krios questioned. “I know what kind of ‘training’ methods you use. You treat her like a full Titan when you know she is not.” Lena frowned, she was not used to Krios defending her in any manner. Even one as small as this. She waited for her father’s response, but Kronos interrupted him.  _

_ “Enough. Hyperion’s daughter is a potent tool in this war. One that, unfortunately, we cannot afford to lose right now. We are on the brink of propelling our plans forward and we need her. This discussion will wait. Her performance tomorrow will determine her fate.” Kronos said with a sense of finality in his voice.  _

_ “Your powers are growing at a rapid pace.” Lena jumped, turning away from the council table and towards the voice, seeing an apparition of Koios next to her.  _

_ “I… uh... “ Lena stammered, not exactly sure what to say. The Titan chuckled.  _

_ “Do not worry young one, I will not give you away. Unlike my more vocal brothers, I am more in tune with the dream world. They do not sense you and I will keep them from doing so.” Lena nodded thankfully.  _

_ “Thank you.” She said. Lena would hate to be caught listening in on this meeting, even if she didn’t have any control over it. Koios nodded curtly, looking back to his bickering brothers.  _

_ “You know, as well as anyone, that you are simply a tool in this war.” He said absentmindedly. Lena nodded. “I will not lie to you and tell you that I tried to protect you or fight for you. You deserve more than that.” Lena frowned slightly. “Despite what your father, Kronos, and Krios have taught you, we are capable of feeling emotion. Titans have always just viewed it as weakness. Something for lesser beings. But we try to deny that we feel things as you do.”  _

_ “I find that hard to believe. No offense.” Lena scoffed. Koios laughed.  _

_ “I’m sure you do. But someday, I’m sure you’ll understand. I think on some level, you already do.” Koios put his hand on Lena’s shoulder. “Come, you must rest before tomorrow.” He said, leading her back to her own room, their dream selves flying through the walls as if they weren’t even there.  _

_ Koios delivered Lena back to her room where Lena’s dream self looked down to see her body, asleep below her. Lena blinked a couple of times. “That’s a little surreal.” She said. Koios chuckled.  _

_ “It is the first few times. But as your powers evolve, someday you may be able to control your dreams.” He said slowly. “I have one more thing for you before tomorrow Lena. As you know, I am the Titan of Resolve and Intelligence. I have watched you for the last two years. I know your future.” Lena nodded. She knew the Koios had the gift of prophecy and foresight, but he rarely divulged the future, even to Kronos. Koios insisted it was too dangerous to change certain events that should never be changed. “You are still destined for great things. But I know you have been struggling between your head and your heart for quite a long time.” Lena blinked, giving no reaction. Koios squeezed Lena’s shoulder before releasing her back to her body. But as she faded to black as she fell asleep again, she heard his voice echo in her mind. “Your heart will lead you down the path to your destiny.”  _

III. 

Lena gasped, jolting up out of bed. Panting heavily, she glanced over at her clock. About 4 in the morning. Still a little early, but she wasn’t sure if she’d be able to go back to sleep. The combination of the coming day and her very vivid dream from the night before plaguing her mind. She relaxed back into bed, calming her breathing before it went back to a slower and steadier pace. Her mind went to the coming day, not wanting to dwell too much on her dream. She had learned that most of the Titans, especially Koios, had a way of speaking in riddles and, while it was important to pay attention to those riddles, to not spend too much headspace overthinking it. Destiny had a funny way of presenting itself and if the Fates willed it, it would be, regardless of anything anyone did. Even the Gods and Titans. 

Instead, she thought of the path ahead. Their final assault on Demos. And the fall of the school. Lena sighed. This was certainly not the path she thought she would be on a few years ago. But she had to see this through. Lena laid in bed for as long as she could, probably for another hour, trying to calm her mind with little success. Before too much longer she decided to get up and prepare herself for the day. 

She got up, grabbing her toothbrush and toiletries and headed into her bathroom. She decided to forgo a shower because she’d just be getting splattered with blood and dust later anyway. She took a few minutes just staring at herself in the mirror. Examining her features. Some years away from certain comforts that she had enjoyed living with the Luthors had caused her skin to be scarred, the most pronounced one being the sun symbol on the wrist and a small burn mark on her forehead. She was larger than she had been, but that was, in large part, thanks to her bulking up. Her muscles had filled out rather nicely over the last couple of years. And perhaps one of the more subtle, but still most notable changes was her change in eye color. Once a greenish blue, her eyes had faded to the fiery yellow, orange, and red of her father, a result of accepting her place with the Titans. 

She quickly finished up after that in her bathroom, heading back to her room, pulling her bedshirt over her head, tossing it on her bed, putting on a sports bra and spandex shorts instead, followed by her belt. She pressed the buckle, the mark on her wrist and on the buckle itself slowly a dull golden color, encasing her body in her body suit. She took her swords off the weapon rack, strapping them to her back. She eyed the dagger on her desk, making a split second decision to grab it and stick it in a sheath that she had built into her armor. A rather simple, but impressive device that would jettison the dagger out of a hidden slot in her right wrist right into her hand, somewhat like an assassin’s dagger. 

When she exited her room, it was fairly noisy throughout the base. Most of the foot soldiers had woken up to prepare before she did. She headed to the mess hall only to run into Roulette on the way. “Morning Luthor.” The daughter of Hermes greeted. Lena nodded, walking beside her friend. 

“Morning. How are you doing?” Lena asked as the two headed over to grab some food. Roulette shrugged. 

“I’ve been worse. I’ve been better too.” She replied, grabbing a cup of coffee and handing another one to Lena who gratefully accepted it. “Ready to get this over with? And onto the next phase.” She asked her commander and more importantly, her friend. 

Lena just shrugged. “You and I both know that I wish it hadn’t come to this. But I suppose it was inevitable.” She said a little despondently. Roulette gave Lena a short nod, the two heading over to an empty table. 

The two ate in silence, Lena’s desire to be alone rather apparent. But Roulette wasn’t going to leave her friend when she knew that the day and battle ahead was going to be hard for her. Even if it was just standing next to her in silence, Roulette would be there for Lena. 

Before long though, both women knew they needed to prepare. They were to strike within the next hour. Roulette pulled Lena aside before she had a chance to stroll away. Lena gave Roulette a look before Roulette pulled her into a tight hug. Lena, surprised, hesitantly hugged her back. “What was that for?” Lena asked when the two separated. 

“So you know that I’m with you. No matter what. And if you ever tell anyone that I did that, all you’ll get is denials.” Lena chuckled at the seriousness of Roulette’s tone but nodded. 

“We both have reputations to uphold.” Lena playfully punched Roulette’s shoulder. 

“That we do. I’ll see you out there I guess. And you know, I’ve got your back.” Lena nodded once, her face turning serious. 

“Good to know someone does.” She said before she saw Hyperion turn a corner and beckon to her. “I’ve got to go.” She said, her face hardening as she brushed past her friend who turned to see Lena walking towards her father. Roulette sighed as she watched Lena engage her father in conversation.

“Father,” Lena said coolly, bowing her head in respect. 

“You lead our forces to victory today.” He responded to which Lena nodded. “I trust you will not return… empty-handed this time.” Lena narrowed her eyes. 

“Your trust is not misplaced.” She said. Hyperion appraised her, looking her up and down. 

“I hope not.” 

“If you’ll excuse me, I have some troops to rally and prepare.” She said coldly, abandoning the conversation with her father. Hyperion turned to watch his daughter walk into the staging area where most of their forces stood ready. His eyes glowed a bright gold, his form shifting into a much younger and smaller individual with a simple sword at his hip and a shield on his arm. He was not going to stand by and watch his daughter give into her weakness again. If she didn’t take care of it, he would. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ¯\\_(ツ)_/¯
> 
> Feel free to come scream at me or with me on Tumblr: aeon-wolf.tumblr.com


	18. Betrayal

I.

Lena burst through the walls that Demos had erected to defend against the third attack. The entrance hall was empty of any Olympian halfbloods which was a shift in strategy, but Lena followed the rest of her forces who were swarming into the courtyard, only for her to see monsters disintegrating left and right as bronze-tipped arrows flew towards them. Most of the projectiles bounced harmlessly off her armor, as their own archers returned fire, hitting a couple. Lena’s eyes scanned the battlefield. 

Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Mon-El engaging one of her own halfbloods, Mon-El obviously outclassed who he was fighting. Lena rolled her eyes but didn’t dwell too long. Lena suddenly heard the whipping of a dagger flying in her direction. She rolled out of the way, the dagger flying harmlessly over her. She looked in the direction of where it came from to see Maggie twirling another one in her hand, a smirk on her face. 

“Didn’t think you’d see me again did you?” Maggie taunted. Lena scowled. 

“Fate has a funny way of making my path cross with those from the past.” Lena retorted. Maggie chuckled. 

“I suppose so. I’m surprised you’re alive. That poison Alex stuck in you was pretty potent stuff. But I guess I shouldn’t be, you always were one of the toughest kids I knew.” Lena just shrugged. 

“And I don’t intend on that changing anytime soon.” She said. “Just walk away Maggie, I don’t want to hurt you.” She tried. Maggie laughed. 

“You’re leading an unstoppable force against my home, Lena. You think that I’m just going to give up and let that go?” A look of sadness crossed her face. “You were once one of us. What happened Little Luthor?” Lena flinched. 

“I’m giving you the opportunity to walk away from a fight you know you can’t win,” Lena said, ignoring Maggie’s question. Maggie shook her head and sighed. 

“I wish it were that simple. But as it is, someone else is looking forward to fighting you and I would not want to get in their way. So I’ll let you two have at it.” Maggie said, pressing her finger to an implant in her ear. Lena frowned as Maggie walked away from Lena, going after some monsters instead. 

Suddenly, she heard a whoosh of air behind her. Lena spun around to see Kara standing directly behind her. She jumped backward, a little startled, gripping her swords a little tighter. “Kara,” Lena said. The demititan looked at Kara, who had also upgraded her armor since the last time they had fought. Not unlike Lena’s suit, a bodysuit covered in red and blue metal plating instead of gold, broadsword in her hand. But what was perhaps more striking about Kara was the power Lena could feel from being in her presence. The growth from the last time they had met. Kara had quite obviously been training hard and honing her power. It still did not match Lena’s raw power, but Lena took a step back, a little in awe. 

“Lena,” Kara replied. “You look… recovered.” Lena laughed a little. 

“Your sister did quite a number on me. I’m almost impressed.” Lena said. “You know you can’t withstand another assault on the school. Why do you continue to fight?” Lena asked as the two began to circle each other, both with incredible patience. 

“Why do you?” Kara responded. “You know that the Titans are evil Lena. The talks we used to have, I know the real you. You’re just scared.” Kara tried. Lena snorted. 

“You’re right Kara. I am. But what other choices do I have? Join you and the Gods? You know I can’t do that. That’s beyond suicidal Kara.” Lena exclaimed, deciding to engage, stepping forward to swing her swords at Kara, who easily blocked and parried. Lena, who had also been working on using her powers more in combat, created a small light shield, blocking Kara’s blow, her blade bouncing harmlessly off of the glowing shield. 

“You’d have me. You’d have James. Mon-El. Winn. Even Alex and Maggie. We’re your friends Lena. And I still… we never got to explore what our relationship meant. What it was. I know you don’t trust us. The Gods. But I’ve never given up on you.” Kara said, using her enhanced speed to blur towards Lena, launching an overhead swing at Lena, who was able to match Kara’s speed, blocked the blow with both blades, shoving it aside, swinging from the side at Kara. The daughter of Zeus lept back, propelled by air currents to avoid the blades, landing gracefully a couple yards away from Lena. 

Lena ran forward, flashing her powers to disorient Kara briefly before attempting to strike. Unfortunately, Kara had thought ahead and planned for that, having Winn design some special lenses for her to wear that would help, tech that he had originally designed to make flash grenades less effective. “It doesn’t matter anymore Kara,” Lena said curtly as she swung her blades, though Kara was easily able to block, and retaliate with her own attack. The two traded blows for seemingly hours, though in reality, it was only a few minutes. 

“Lena, please. Just stop. Talk to me” Kara pled. Both girls were panting, not from physical exertion, but by the toll using their powers was taking. While both of them had improved in using their powers and pushing them further, they still had a human constitution. 

Lena just shook her head slowly. “It’s too late for that Kara. You can’t save everyone. It’s a lesson that I don’t think you’ve ever learned.” She launched another attack, blurring forward feinting to the left before blurring quickly behind Kara to strike her from behind. Luckily, Kara’s armor was able to take most of the blow, though Kara was a little bruised from the attack as she flew forward from the force of the attack. Lena pressed her advantage, blurring towards where Kara was on the ground, striking down towards Kara. Though at the last minute, Kara was oriented enough to block the blow with her own sword, pressing back against Lena’s own. 

Lena stood over Kara, trying to force her advantage. So much so that she didn’t see Kara kick her leg, causing Lena to lose her balance, allowing Kara to use her strength to push back against Lena’s blades, knocking them both out of her hands, flipping their positions to where Kara was stood above Lena. The demititan reached for her swords that had fallen to the ground, but Kara kicked them out of reach before planting a boot firmly on Lena’s chest, preventing her from moving. She pointed her sword at Lena who was on her back, underneath Kara’s boot. Lena looked up at Kara. The blonde saw something that she never thought she would see. Defeat. Kara frowned. “It doesn’t have to be like this,” Kara said. “I can help you. If you’d just trust me.” 

Lena sighed. “I do trust you, Kara. It’s everyone else that I don’t. Just kill me and get it over with. It’ll be easier for everyone. The Titans don’t really care about me besides being a pawn. The Gods want me dead. Even your own sister wants me dead.” Lena said bitterly. “I’m beyond caring about fighting back anymore. In fact, at this point, it would be a release. I know the role the Gods assigned you.” 

Kara rest the tip of her sword against Lena’s neck. But Kara hesitated, knowing that the Gods, or at least her father, would certainly be furious with her for not doing what they set her out to do. But how could she kill the one person she loved? But before Kara had a chance to make her decision, a very fast and hard body slammed into her, throwing her off her feet and crashing into the ground, making a cratering skid mark on the ground, her back covered in the rubble. Kara looked up to see an almost scrawny looking halfblood looking down at her, sneering. “So you’re the chosen of the Gods. Rather pathetic thing, aren’t you?’ He spat, before looking down at Lena. 

Lena looked up, frowning, not recognizing the halfblood that had thrown Kara aside so easily. Her eyes widened slightly at seeing her own yellow, orange and red eyes looking back at her. How her father could have hidden from her she wasn’t really sure, but it was unmistakable that it was him. Lena glanced over at Kara, who was struggling to shake off the sudden attack. “I don’t know who you are, but this has nothing to do with you,” Kara said, shaking her head. 

“That’s where you’re wrong halfblood. This has everything to do with me.” He said coldly. His eyes glowed gold again, his form shimmering until he changed back to his natural form, his red cape hanging from his shoulders, his large golden sword in his hand, helmet covering his head. Kara’s eyes clouded over in a little fear. “You are my daughter’s one remaining weakness. One that it seems I will have to take care of myself.” Hyperion said, stalking towards Kara who was scrambling to get to her feet. 

“You don’t even care about her!” Kara said. “You’re just using her to get to Olympus.” Hyperion laughed. 

“She knows that. And yet here she is, at my side.” Hyperion glanced back at his daughter who was frozen in place. “I will deal with you later.” He sneered before turning back to Kara. “Now, what to do with you?” Hyperion laughed coldly. He blurred toward her, faster than even Kara could follow, readying to strike her down, though Kara managed to just barely parry his blow, using her powers to fly up above him. “I see the Gods have granted you what little of our power they had.” He chuckled. “Unfortunately for you…” Hyperion said, his hand glowing white before Kara suddenly felt a force pulling her power from her body, making her exert more of her energy to remain in the sky. She used what energy she had to land safely, feeling more winded than she had. Hyperion stalked towards her, making a show of swinging his blade at her, allowing Kara to struggle to block it, pressing his strength though with Kara’s own enhanced strength, she was able to withstand it better than most halfbloods could have. “Pathetic.” Hyperion spat. “To think my daughter is in love with you. I’ll make sure to purge her of this weakness. It’s only a pity that you won’t live to see what she will be without you. With you out of the way, we’re one step closer to destroying your so-called Gods.” Hyperion said, his eyes glowing red, forcing Kara to the ground, struggling to keep Hyperion from striking her down. But she knew that even with her enhanced powers she didn’t stand a chance against a true Titan. And without them, she was like a bug on the sidewalk. 

“My daughter is stronger than you can ever dream to be. And you're less than worthy of her.” Hyperion whispered to Kara. “She will be even stronger than you are out of the way. I will enjoy killing you in front of her. Destroying the only weakness she has left. Making her watch. Her anger and pain consuming her. She will be unstoppable.” Hyperion said, almost a tone of glee in his voice.

Suddenly, Hyperion felt a sharp pain in the back of his calf, yelling as something threw him away from Kara and into the ground, creating a crater, not unlike the one Kara had made. Kara collapsed onto the ground, clearly out of energy and weak. Hyperion pulled himself up off the ground, looking for who dared interfered, narrowing his eyes when he saw Lena tucking her dagger away in her armor, drawing both swords and standing in front of Kara. “I’m not going to let you touch her.” Lena spat. 

“This is a mistake you do not want to make Lena,” Hyperion said dangerously. Lena’s expression hardened. 

“No. I’m sure the only mistake I ever made was believing that living my life in fear from my own father was better than risking my life for someone I actually love. I guess I should thank you for making me realize that.” Lena retorted. Hyperion’s eyes flared. 

“So be it. Kronos was right. Your humanity makes you strong Lena. And yet it makes you weak. And after everything, I think I will enjoy ripping it from you. There are many things in this world worse than death. And you are not going to get that release.” He spat, blurring towards her. Lena parried, giving herself to her anger at her father. Everything he had put her through in the last few years; belittling her, abusing her, cutting off everything that she ever cared about, trying to break her. Roulette and Koios’ words coming back to her. 

_ “You were truly happy with Kara. Don’t you deserve that?  _

_ Your heart will lead you down the path to your destiny. _

Lena pushed herself more than she ever had before, pushing her speed to be able to avoid her father’s incoming attack and following up with her own. She was relentless with her speed against Hyperion. He had always relied more on strength than on speed, something Lena was very aware of. After over two years of training with him, she knew the ins and outs of his strategies, strengths, and weaknesses. 

Kara struggled to look up, seeing Lena blurring in and out of her vision, launching attack after attack on her father who seemed to be able to keep up with her attacks, but Kara could see some surprise in his eyes. Finally, Lena came into clear focus, her swords clashing against Hyperion’s single blade, using her anger and pain fueled strength, forcing her father down. Lena could see Hyperion struggling under her, but she knew that she couldn’t sustain it for long. 

Lena suddenly let go of her right sword, dropping it, her dagger sliding into her hand as she reached past his sword, stabbing his right side, a small chink in his armor that very few people knew about, dragging the dagger up an inch or two. He roared, his golden blood dripping from the deep wound as he used his left arm to push against Lena’s weakened attack, throwing her off, his sword disappearing as he covered his wound, panting a little, wincing at the pain. Lena stood in front of him, swords drawn, ready for anything. 

“This isn’t over Lena.” He said coldly. “I’m… disappointed. We will remember your choice.” He sneered, even while injured as he shimmered, disappearing, probably to lick his wounds, and maybe more importantly, his pride. Lena frowned, knowing that he spoke the truth, that it was not over and in fact, it was only the beginning of a new chapter for her. Lena, looking around and not seeing any threats, jogged over to Kara who was still collapsed on the ground. She offered her hand to Kara, who took it and got to her feet, with Lena’s help. 

“I....” Kara started. “Thank you.” She said. “You… saved me.” Lena gave Kara a small smile. 

“You can’t save everyone, Kara,” Lena said, placing a hand gently on her shoulder. “But I wasn’t going to let him kill you.” Kara was about to respond when a yell echoed throughout the quad. 

“Retreat! The school is lost.” Mon-El yelled, rallying everyone to fall back to the base of operations they had set up as a contingency. Kara glanced over at the sight of her friends retreating. 

“Come with us,” Kara said. Lena gave her a skeptical look. “I’m serious. You know the Titans better than anyone. You’ve seen what they’re like. What their operation is like. You can help us. You can’t go back there. You heard… your father.” Kara tried to reason with Lena. The demititan just shook her head.

“You know as well as I do that I won’t exactly be welcomed back with open arms, Kara,” Lena said. Kara shrugged. 

“Well, you can’t survive on your own either. They’ll hunt you down. Look. I wasn’t able to be there for you then. I know that. For two years you endured things I could only dream of in my nightmares. But I want to be there for you now. Let me prove it to you.” Kara said, offering her own hand to Lena. The demititan eyed it carefully. 

“Understand this Kara,” Lena said, pausing as Kara nodded. “I’m not doing this for the Gods. I’m not doing this for your friends. I will never support the Gods again. I’ll stand by you because you’re right, I still love you.” Lena said as Kara watched her eyes flash the greenish blue they once were. Kara gave Lena a small smile as Lena took Kara’s hand. 

“I can live with that.” She said as she squeezed Lena's hand, letting go as she ran off, Lena in close pursuit, hoping that she had made the right choice. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yo. And here lies the ending of Betrayal, may it rest in peace. Jokes. So I’ve been trying to chip away at this for the last month or two (this and the last chapter used to be the same, then I broke it up) and finally found the drive to actually finish it. Now that I’ve actually written and read it, I feel like although I tried to set this all up properly because my motivations started waning a few chapters ago, I didn’t get it quite right. Oh well, what’s done is done. I’ve had this eventuality; Lena’s betrayal of Hyperion and the Titans planned from the very start. 
> 
> No, I don’t have a plan or timeline for the next part. As you all have figured out by now, Supercorp is not something I spend a lot of time on anymore. Though, I feel a sense of responsibility to finish this series before hanging it up for a while. Perhaps seeing S3 gifs everywhere, it’ll give me some inspiration. 
> 
> I’m sorry for how long this has taken and perhaps how sporadic this ending is. But I promised to someone I wouldn’t kill off any major characters and as this is a Supercorp series, they’ve got to actually get together at some point. If anyone has ideas for Redemption feel free to contact me somehow. Won’t promise I’ll use them, but at this point, any ideas would be nice. 
> 
> Feel free to come scream at me or with me on Tumblr: aeon-wolf.tumblr.com


End file.
